Second Wind
by The-Lost-Samurai
Summary: Luffy and Zoro awaken in two different parts of East Blue, both with the same thing on their mind. Protect the crew. There would be no failures this time around, Captain's orders. As bits and pieces of the unknown past that the two comrades share are gradually revealed, the rest of the crew can only speculate. For all their absolute resolve, they're hiding something. Time Travel AU
1. Neo Romance Dawn

**Warning:** In this time travel fan fiction, I will do my best to make the story feel like One Piece, but there will be a few intentional differences. First of all, Luffy's personality evolved as his adventure progressed. He will not be as stupid or clueless as he currently is in the manga. While he will still have the key components of his personality that we all love, he will also be much smarter and have a much greater awareness of what is happening around him at any given time. While Luffy in the manga arguably never changes, I always find this unrealistic considering everything he has experienced, and would prefer to give him a more solid character development in this story. As it progresses and parts of his past are revealed, the changes in his personality will make more sense, because honestly after what happened there's no plausible way he'd stay the same.

**Contents:**

East Blue Saga: Chapters 1-13

Romance Dawn: 1-2

Orange Town: 3-4

Syrup Village: 5-6

Baratie: 7-9

Arlong Park: 10-12

Loguetown: 13

Baroque Works Saga: Chapters 14-35

Reverse Mountain: 14

Whiskey Peak: 15-16

Little Garden: 17-18

Drum Island: 19-22

Alabasta: 23-33

Post-Alabasta-34-35

Sky Island Saga: Chapters 36-48

Jaya: 36-40

Skypiea: 41-47

G8: 48

War Ascension Saga: 49-Current

Long Ring Long Land: 49

Water 7: 50-54

Post-Water 7: 55

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Never have, never will. But I do own a One Piece fan fiction, as of...now.

* * *

Chapter I: Neo Romance Dawn

Straw Hat Luffy was awakened by a subtle swaying that seemed to grow more violent by the second as he opened his eyes, blinked, and yawned tiredly. What had he been doing before he dozed off? Memories presented themselves as his mind snapped back into alertness. Oh, yeah. He was still drifting. What was that noise? He took a look around him as his eyes focused, and laughed out loud.

"Damn, how do I always forget these things?" he asked with obvious mirth in the face of the whirlpool that threatened to swallow his inadequacy of a boat whole. In the long run, something like this was trivial, laughable really, but Luffy couldn't help but find it disconcerting that something like this could have potentially ended his journey before it had even begun.

He glanced at the barrel next to him as it rocked back and forth with the waves. Should he try it…? In theory it should work. He quickly dismissed the thought, though, chastising himself for his careless nature. If it didn't work, he wasn't coming out of the water unless a miracle happened. In his experience, miracles happened often, although they could only help you so much.

Regardless, he didn't want to risk it. It would not do for the future Pirate King to die at the hands of a tiny ass whirlpool like this. It wasn't his own fate he was worried about as much as the fate of the lives he would come to affect. In the beginning of his journey, he had easily resigned himself to the risks of his foolish dream, but as thoughts of those that he had to protect gradually piled up on his conscience, that mindset had become increasingly difficult to maintain. In the eyes of many, he would always be a careless idiot, and in some respects this would always hold true. But what some didn't realize was that there were some things he had an ingrained intelligence for from the beginning, and other things he had forcefully willed himself to learn along the way…with some help.

He made a quick decision. He had already resolved to play an active role this time around, and that meant not leaving himself at the mercy of a barrel if he could help it. So he took a quick leap off the boat, propelling himself over the waters with a force that almost sank it. Any sane person would have wondered if he was losing it with this recent action, but sane people didn't last very long where he was going. After reaching the vertex of his parabolic trajectory, he took another step, and the air below him responded in turn, propelling him higher and further. He took more steps until he was cruising through the air at a comfortable speed.

Now, to get down to business. It should be close now. He reached out with his Observation Haki, and more than a few dozen weak auras flickered to life within range of his senses. He also sensed slightly stronger auras at a separate location. He predicted that they were all on a collision course, but then again he already knew that. It was an ambush after all.

He accelerated quickly and made his way over to the slightly stronger auras in the distance. One in particular dwarfed them all in power, but in other aspects that were far more important at this stage, it paled in comparison to another that Luffy instantly recognized. The shockingly humble presence brought a nostalgic smile to Luffy's face.

"Wait for me, old buddy."

* * *

He reached the pirate ship with the Jolly Roger that confirmed Luffy's already solid guess and touched down after quickly decelerating. Those that were guarding the deck looked at him in shock, but shock quickly turned to malice. If they gave any more thought to the fact that they hadn't even noticed his approach until he had landed right in front of them, they may have been a bit more cautious. As it was, they were inclined to ask who the hell he was and charge at him with swords at the ready before waiting for an answer. Luffy was in deep thought but spared them a glance that knocked them out cold. Leaving the foaming fodder behind, he made his way through a door and caught sight of the person who he had come to find. At first glance of the bright pink hair and pudgy appearance, he had to resist the urge to laugh out loud. He compared this timid boy to the quiet, confident Marine he would one day grow up to be. There were some similarities other than appearance (most notably in his aura), but it was nonetheless difficult.

The boy was being relentlessly harassed by a small group of pirates who were too busy taunting him to even notice Luffy's approach.

"Excited yet, Coby? This is gonna be a big haul. You looking forward to some good old fashioned pirating?" The boy weakly glared at him, causing him to laugh. The others followed suit.

"Is that even a question?" one thug asked. "Here's a better one. Are you looking forward to hiding below deck like a little bitch and then cleaning the captain's shoes just to avoid a beating?" They all howled with laughter. Cody turned red before he, to Luffy's disappointment, looked at the ground and let out a resigned sigh. _We'll have to work on that_, Luffy thought, as he mentally willed Coby to drop kick their asses through the floor, knowing full well that it wouldn't happen. Yet. As he stepped in front of Coby, the unobservant idiots who by all rights should have been dead by now (mercy is not common on the vast seas, even if a minority of pirates made a habit of exercising it) finally took notice of his presence.

"Who the hell is this guy? I've never seen him before," one said suspiciously.

"New recruit maybe?" another piped up. The one who had been taunting immediately before Luffy stopped and glared at him.

"Who are you? Identify yourself." Luffy looked him dead in the eye.

"Well, I'm the guy who defeated your crew, kicked your captain's ass, and sunk your ship. That's all you really need to know." The pirates gaped at his audacity, but hesitated to attack.

Something about this guy was holding them back, but they weren't smart enough for it to last very long. Luffy scratched his head at his own phrasing. To them, he was simply speaking from a future perspective, but it was technically true, minus the sinking the ship part. He had left that to the Marines last time. Before they could charge, Luffy spoke. "You'll wake up in about 10 minutes. Try not to drown, I guess." This stopped them in their tracks as they stared in confusion upon hearing the cryptic statement. Then they dropped to the ground, foaming at the mouth. Luffy observed Coby carefully.

The blast, although weak to the point where he had to consciously control himself, was directed at everyone in the room. Coby was kneeling on the floor, sweating profusely and panting for breath, but he was still conscious. _Not bad. _Luffy smiled despite himself realizing that even this crybaby Cody, who had zero confidence and next to zero mental discipline, was still much more strong willed than your average East Blue pirate. That wasn't saying much, but it was something.

"Hey, you! You're Coby, right? If I heard correctly…mind giving me some food? I'm starved." The boy was scared shitless at being addressed so casually by the person who had quite literally brought him to his knees with use of a faceless, overwhelming power. He nodded weakly and stood up on trembling knees. He walked forward, refusing to stumble, and led the mysterious boy to a supply storage closet, if only to appease him.

He looked back at him as he walked. He gulped. The boy didn't seem to be hostile to him despite the display earlier. If anything, he should thank him for saving him from a potential beating. He was too intimidated at the moment to think of the ramifications of what the boy had just done. If those pirates were waking up in 10 minutes, they would surely run to Alvida, and the thought would have sickened him if he had been in a state of mind to worry about it. Instead, he opened the door and let the boy walk into the storage closet as if his life depended on it.

"Wow, thanks Coby!" He dived into a barrel full of apples and started inhaling them - that was the only description Coby could really use. If he was chewing at all, he couldn't see it. It was all a blur as he bounced from one side of the room to another and gradually emptied the supply closet of the precious food. Just when Coby was starting to wonder where on earth he put it all, the boy stopped, sighing as he visibly restrained himself and patted his stomach dispassionately. "It's not much, but it will hold me over. I should leave some room for meat."

Coby looked at him skeptically and found the courage to speak for the first time since the boy's introduction. "How much can you eat? Are you a glutton?" The boy looked at him and Coby froze, wondering if the slip had been a mistake. To his relief, the boy just laughed.

"Most would say I am," he admitted. "I have room for a lot more, but fruit doesn't do much for me. My body is weird. I need some meat, but this will be enough until I make it to the next island. I might have to stock up here, though. I haven't eaten in over a day."

Coby frowned as he interpreted "stock up" to mean "steal," not realizing that the boy had already taken his act of leading him here as a sign of friendship and planned to return the favor. He squashed the rising disapproval. This ship was filled with ruthless pirates, and as ashamed as he was to admit it, he was one of them. He had no right to look down on someone who stole from scum. Of course, Luffy didn't really view it as stealing since in his eyes he had Coby's permission, but that was beside the point.

"Why have you gone so long without eating?" Coby was curious. The boy just shrugged.

"A day isn't really that long," he answered ambiguously. Normally he would be dismayed at the prospect of not eating for that long, but at the moment his thoughts were wandering to a certain man he would meet up with on the island he was going to next. "But since you asked, I was at sea and quickly ran out of food since I had no idea where I was going until I finally spotted this ship."

That surprised Coby. He should have guessed the boy was a sailor, but the more sane part of his mind assumed he had somehow snuck aboard from the civilian ship that Alvida was about to purge. He remembered suddenly that a conflict would begin soon, and settled for one last question.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what was that thing you did back there? You knocked those guys out cold without lifting a finger." The boy smirked and nodded, acknowledging the question.

"Sorry. That's a secret. But you'll find out one day." Again with the vague responses. Coby nodded despite his lingering curiosity. Meanwhile, Luffy was internally wondering if he should just tell him. He didn't really feel like explaining the concept of Conqueror's Haki to someone who had yet to truly see the world. Even a small glimpse of its vastness might discourage the boy from pursuing his dream at this point.

"Oops," he said suddenly. "I forgot to introduce myself. Sorry." He stood up, and Coby nodded to convey his desire to know. He smiled widely and threw his hands up in the air. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who is going to become the Pirate King!" Coby's jaw hung loosely in response to the bold statement.

"Pirate King? Do you even realize what that means!?" he asked in shock.

"Yes," Luffy said simply. But Coby shook his head furiously.

"You're insane! Your desire is to stand at the top of this great age of pirates!" A hint of fear crept itself into Coby's voice at the thought of the boy he had unwittingly started to like dying a gruesome death. "Don't tell me you're going to the Grand Line! Are you after One Piece!?" The boy nodded, confirming his suspicion. Coby continued shaking his head. "It's impossible, Luffy! Give up now before you get yourself killed! I know I just met you and have no right to order you around, but I don't want you to die a premature death!"

Luffy's held back from bonking him on the head, if only because Coby had worked up the courage to shout at him, something he wasn't sure he would have the nerve to do after Luffy kind of overdid it with the testing of his willpower. Instead he just smirked confidently. "Not likely. It will be a while before things actually get dangerous, but I'll be ready when they do. Even so, if I die, I die. At the very least, I will leave my mark on this world." Coby was awed at his resolve. While he assumed that Luffy meant he was going to make a name for himself, and while this was inevitable (and somewhat preferable) in Luffy's mind, he was thinking more along the lines of impacting the lives of his crewmates.

Technically, he didn't know them yet, which felt weird, but it hadn't been difficult to come to the decision that he would recruit every one of them. Luffy was no saint; he wouldn't go out of his way to help people he didn't know if he had no direct reason to do so. But with people who he knew as his comrades, people that he knew were suffering and had such bright potential for both goodness and greatness, there wasn't much debate when it came to what his actions would be.

"I wonder if I can be like that." Coby's quiet voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I wonder if I can live with no doubts, confidently fulfilling my ambitions."

Luffy shrugged. "No reason why you can't."

Coby's fists were clenched and started shaking. "I have a dream," he whispered. "It's nowhere near as amazing as yours, but I wonder if I can do it." He looked up to meet the focused gaze of Luffy, who smiled widely.

"I'm sure your dream is awesome, Coby. Go for it."

But Coby continued on, ranting as if he'd been discouraged, which Luffy thought was hilarious. "No, I _will_ do it! I will become a Marine! A great Marine who follows the code of justice to the end! And I will stop pirates from wreaking havoc on the innocent!"

Luffy's smile grew even wider. "Does that include Alvida?" It was a calculated risk, he knew.

Coby's eyes widened in fear before the determination flooded back into them stronger than before. He took a deep breath, and shouted, "I will capture Alvida!"

There was a sudden crash and Coby caught sight of a giant mace sticking out of the ruined wooden wall. "I was wondering where the hell you were while the others were attacking our target. And here I find you aiding a bounty hunter and entertaining thoughts of mutiny!"

Coby stared in horror at the still smiling boy. _Did he do that on purpose? Why? What would his motive be?_ He had essentially just gotten Coby killed for revealing his traitorous thoughts, but that didn't mean Alvida would have mercy on him! What was he trying to do?

Alvida addressed Luffy directly. "And who do you think you are, planting thoughts of treason into my gullible cabin boy? Do you know who I am, brat?"

Luffy looked at her with a bored expression on his face. "The biggest whale in East Blue?"

All doubts vanished from Coby's mind. Luffy was definitely trying to get them both killed. Luffy's thoughts were elsewhere as he almost mentally corrected himself. Laboon was on the other side of Reverse Mountain, so he wasn't in East Blue. There were most definitely whales bigger than her in the eastern seas, but he hadn't met them so he had no proof. From a personal perspective, his statement held true. He mentally pictured a certain orange-haired girl commenting on the idiocy of his thought process before he snapped back to reality, just as Alvida's shocked expression melted away to make room for an enraged one.

Before she could compose herself enough to act, Luffy turned to Coby with the same bored expression. "What do you think, Coby? I guess there might be bigger whales out there…" he said.

Comprehension dawned on Coby's face. It was a test. He was to become a Marine. Marines could not simply bow their heads in the face of insurmountable power. Their job was to protect the world from injustice when no one else would. How could he ever be a Marine if he couldn't stand up to a single pirate?

_That's what it's about, isn't it, Luffy? The resolve to put your life on the line._ His eyes hardened and something changed within him. He snapped. "The fattest bitch-ass whale from here to Loguetown! Iron Mace Alvida!" He shouted it at the top of his lungs.

Alvida wordlessly swung at the offending stain of a child with all her might, only for him to disappear from sight along with the bounty hunter. When her perception of reality caught up with what had just happened, she recognized that there had been a crash directly above her. She looked up to see a hole in the ship's deck. The shitstain of a bounty hunter was standing above deck with Coby sprawled down beside him in shock. He was casually taking down pirates who had reacted with hostility to his sudden interruption of their pirating. As they kept coming, he seemed to get slightly annoyed and his arms seemed to blur out of sight. As Alvida climbed out of the hole he had made, she realized that all of her henchmen were now unconscious. The rational part of her brain told her to be wary of this boy, the same part that was ruthlessly stomped into submission by the part of her brain that desperately wanted to process the image of his bloodied body dead at her feet. She screamed in frustration as she jumped into the air and came crashing down behind the boy, swinging down with her mace. Coby's eyes widened. He didn't even have time to shout a warning before the iron mace came crashing down on Luffy…

And shattered upon contact with his head. Alvida started to back away as her brain registered that perhaps she wasn't a match for this boy at all. These insinuations, which were normally silenced by the part of her brain that dealt with treasonous thoughts, seemed to be roaring through her mind all of a sudden, unable to be suppressed. She continued to back away until the boy disappeared once again from her sight and something collided with the back of her head, robbing her of her consciousness.

Coby watched as his preconceptions of the world were shattered right before his eyes. He knew Luffy was strong from what he'd shown so far, but to defeat the pirate that had plagued his existence for so long so effortlessly…it left him feeling oddly inadequate. Luffy was frowning. He had meant to demonstrate the practical use of his rubber body, but his reflexes had chosen a much more sophisticated method of defense. He was so used to fighting New World pirates. Should he even try to explain what just happened to the awestruck boy? He decided against it. Devil Fruits were one thing. But he wasn't sure how he would explain something like Armament Haki to Coby so early on even if he wanted to. He was no Rayleigh. He sucked at explaining things.

Instead, he addressed another issue. "The Marines will be here soon. You can try to join them, but it would be suspicious in this situation. In fact, they might just arrest you." Coby nodded sadly at that. It was an accurate assumption. "Why don't you come with me for now? I'm going to a certain island to meet up with someone, but I honestly don't know how to get there." He laughed sheepishly while saying it. "But there's a Marine base on that island. It would be a good starting place for you." Coby smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

It was then that Luffy realized he didn't have a boat. He had abandoned his to its fate at the hands of the whirlpool. The thought saddened him. It was no Going Merry, it hadn't even come close to developing a consciousness from what he could tell (although admittedly he wasn't exactly an expert on the subject). Still, a pirate should look after his ship when he can. He idly considered stealing the ship he was on while avoiding the Marines, but he didn't want to risk Coby being sighted as an accomplice. And anyway, he had a promise to keep.

He lifted his foot up above his head and brought it down in an axe kick. The effect was instantaneous. The ship's hull split right down the middle and it began to sink. Coby, who wasn't that surprised at this point, decided not to comment on the pointless destruction. The Marines would have sunk the ship anyway.

Wondering what he was going to do now, Luffy reached out with his senses and froze. His eyes widened. This presence...how had he missed it until now? A quick scan with his Observation Haki revealed who she was. For all her stealth skills, she couldn't exactly escape his sixth sense. Only someone with similar training could attempt that, and this girl had none…for now. Her aura was radiating fear. Luffy thought this was likely a panicked reaction to what she had just witnessed him do, which, knowing her, was everything.

_It's good to see you again, Nami_, he thought, as sadness and nostalgia welled up inside him in equal proportions. He grabbed Coby and nonchalantly jumped off of the ship and onto her boat.

Nami's eyes widened comically and she gasped. She had been planning to get away while she still had a chance, but he had found her somehow. This guy…he was dangerous.

"Hello," the boy greeted. "Sorry for the trouble, but we're kind of stranded. Would you mind giving us a ride to Shells Town? We have some business there."

Nami was now calmly assessing the situation. She knew Shells Town was on the same island as the 153rd Marine Branch. She was planning to go there herself to investigate a lead she had acquired. Perhaps it would be best to take this guy there to appease him long enough to get out of danger. He just single-handedly defeated a notorious pirate crew and trashed their ship. She had taken down one of Alvida's cronies herself, but only because she'd been spotted. She would never attempt something so outrageous and stupid. She wondered if this guy was a pirate, but decided against asking. She simply nodded in response to his request.

The obvious signs of fear Nami was showing saddened Luffy. Her trust in him had never faltered even a bit after the events of Arlong Park, so this was kind of difficult for him to digest. He didn't want Nami helping him out of fear, but he needed to meet up his other crewmate as soon as possible. Gaining Nami's complete loyalty was a bitch the first time around, and he didn't blame her, but he wasn't at all deterred. He resolved to turn this fear into a deeply ingrained trust, and not just in him. He owed her that much.

Keeping the hurt off his face, he flashed her a smile and thanked her. This was his second chance. A new beginning.

_Bring it on_.

* * *

A/N 6/25/15: To those who have just began reading this story, welcome, thank you, and above all, hope you enjoy it. It is also my hope that the edits I've made will prevent new readers from getting repelled by writing mistakes that are easy to fix but nonetheless make the chapter difficult to interpret. I'm sure you have better things to do than read my author's note though, so go ahead and click that next chapter button! Seriously, you know you want to.


	2. The Pirate King and the Great Swordsman

6/25/15: If you've gotten this far, then let me tell you, you're going in the right direction. If not, then I won't bother telling you anything, because it won't reach you anyway. On the other hand, it means we can say whatever we want about you and you'll never know. That may not make sense, but you're not here to point that out, are you?

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Not even close.

* * *

Chapter II: The Pirate King and the Great Swordsman

As her ship sailed towards Shells Town with the two unexpected passengers, Nami was desperately trying, for the sake of her own safety, not to comment on the stupidity of a person actually trying navigate the sea without a map, compass, or general sense of direction. But as Luffy casually estimated the chances that he would have made it to the island on his own without dying of hunger or thirst and washing up on shore as a corpse while laughing mirthfully (and his estimation was _very_ low), Nami couldn't contain her sentiments anymore. While Coby was sweating in exasperation, she abruptly turned to him with a scowl on his face.

"That's not something to laugh about, you dumbass!" she screamed in frustration. Luffy stopped laughing and looked at her. Nami recoiled and covered her mouth with her hands. _Crap_, she thought as Luffy stared at her for a few seconds.

Then the strangest thing happened. A fond smile broke out across his face, and then he chuckled. "No, I guess it's not," he said. Nami recovered, confused. Had she completely misread him? So far since they set out he hadn't made any move that could be considered hostile. He had just been chatting amiably with Coby the entire time. The only time the two of them had interacted was for introductions. When asked her name, Nami replied that it was Nojiko. Luffy nodded and accepted this without further question, and Nami concluded that he was a bit dense, which was good to know. There was no point giving him any information that he could potentially use to find her, and the chances they'd ever set foot on her home island were slim, so the name she had picked was irrelevant.

But now she wondered if she had simply misjudged him. Sure, he was unnaturally strong (in fact she was pretty sure she'd seen him do a couple of things that were 100% impossible, but it was hard to see from that angle so she dismissed those thoughts in favor of what her more reliable common sense was telling her), but strong people didn't necessarily have to abuse their strength, even if most did. She concluded from this that he wasn't a pirate at least, but she still had to be cautious around him.

Nevertheless, she was now comfortable enough to ask some simple questions. "Um, Luffy?" He turned to her.

"Hey, what's up?" he responded. "Why are you heading to Shells Town? What business do you have there?" She wouldn't tell him that she herself was going to steal a map of the Grand Line, of course. That was something he really didn't need to know.

Luffy smiled brightly at the question. "Ah, I'm meeting up with a friend. Maybe you've heard of him. His name is Zoro."

Two sets of eyes widened at this new information. "As in…?" Coby started to ask but trailed off. Nami recognized the name too. It wasn't exactly common.

"Roronoa Zoro. He's known as the Pirate Hunter," Luffy confirmed.

Coby broke into a cold sweat. "He's a friend of yours, Luffy?" Luffy nodded to him. The thought of the Pirate Hunter having friends sounded very farfetched to him. Nami was thinking the same thing, but now she was also wondering if he was a bounty hunter. That would explain his strength, but then, why didn't he turn in Alvida's bounty? Was it not high enough for his tastes? Nami started to frown at the raw stupidity of that notion while Coby silently wondered how someone who was aiming to be Pirate King had ever ended up friends with the most infamous bounty hunter in East Blue. That just sounded like a betrayal waiting to happen.

* * *

When they finally arrived on the island, Luffy locked onto Zoro's aura. It was easily the most profound presence on the island, towering above the others like a god amongst men. Was Zoro even trying to suppress it? _Probably not_, he decided. There were no other Haki users in East Blue, so this was basically a giant fluorescent beacon signaling for Luffy to come find him. He frowned for a second. Were they really the only ones? His thoughts drifted momentarily to Smokey. Luffy was pretty sure his Marine rival had awakened both types of Haki by the time of Marineford, even if he couldn't utilize them very well.

He had done the same even if he didn't realize it, starting with Conqueror's Haki in Sabaody and Amazon Lily, Armament Haki in Impel Down, and finally Observation Haki in Marineford. He found it interesting that they manifested in the order of his eventual proficiency with each of them. But he couldn't exactly tell when Haki users had awakened the ability if they had achieved it before him.

On the way to the bar, he listened in on some conversations as he walked down the street, gathering information on recent events, one of which seemed to be the topic of almost every conversation he eavesdropped on. He pretty much knew what happened from the moment he sensed Zoro in a civilian environment rather than the Marine base, but what he heard confirmed his suspicions.

Basically what he heard was that Zoro had managed, or more accurately, decided, his mind supplied, to escape from the Marines and raise hell in the base, plowing through unfortunate Marine soldiers with his sword sheath and finally knocking an enraged Marine Captain Morgan out cold. The entire town had been stunned by the news. This marked the end of Morgan's reign of tyranny, and it had happened so fast. While the Marines were grateful, they were also slightly disconcerted at the level of strength he had so casually displayed, as if he had just been putting up with their crap the entire time. Luffy knew that, in reality, he couldn't have escaped from the beginning, but Morgan's fate had been sealed the moment Zoro's mind had been flooded with the memories of his future self. When they asked him what he intended to do while in the town, Zoro had replied that he was waiting for a certain man to arrive, and couldn't leave until then.

"It seems Zoro caused quite the ruckus here," Luffy stated smugly. Coby and Nami had taken to following him silently, and now looked at him with confused expressions. Luffy continued. "Apparently Marine Captain Morgan, who was in charge of the Marine base here, was abusing his rank to oppress the townspeople." Coby looked baffled and somewhat angry while Nami just narrowed her eyes, not really surprised.

"His idiot son, Helmeppo or something like that, also used his influence to gain special privileges, and when Zoro put him in his place for harassing the townspeople, he threatened to start executing them. Zoro agreed to be locked up for a month in the Marine base without food to avoid having civilian deaths on his conscience, but Helmeppo never intended to let him go. When he found out that they were planning on executing him anyway, he escaped and beat the crap out of Captain Morgan. The Marines decided to apprehend Morgan right then and there."

Coby looked outraged now. Luffy didn't really want to destroy the kid's admiration of the Marines, but the sooner he came to terms with reality, the better. Luffy knew he wouldn't end up following that Absolute Justice crap, but it was better that he understood what kind of organization he would be working for sooner rather than later.

Nami turned to him with curious eyes. "How do you know all that anyway?" Luffy scratched his head.

"Ah. That's a skill that I've picked up on. I listen to fragments of conversations while walking through crowds to try to gather a full picture of what's going on in the area. It's pretty useful."

Nami nodded, wondering if she should try to learn how to do that. Coby was impressed. "That's amazing, Luffy! Where'd you learn how to do that?"

Luffy put on a sad smile. "A friend taught me how. A long time ago…" Nami and Coby decided not to push for more information after that.

Luffy sighed. While his proficiency with the skill was naturally much higher with the use of Observation Haki, Robin had had it down to an art form. She had been capable of flawlessly picking up on information as she walked innocently through the streets without the aid of anything other than her eyes and ears. Luffy was no Enel; he couldn't pick up on conversations from a mile away (an ability that he attributed to the self proclaimed God's Devil Fruit), but gathering information while he walked down the street, while not an ingrained habit like with Robin, was child's play if he just paid attention.

When they arrived at the bar that the aura was pulsating from, Luffy absently noted that Zoro had sensed his presence as well. His aura was flaring with excitement, even if he'd never show it on his face for the world to see. Luffy walked in, followed closely by his two traveling companions. He stopped behind of the bench on which the subject of his search was seated and the bartender, a woman with brown hair and eyes looked at him with a nervous smile. A little girl that Luffy knew as Rika stared at him in wonder from behind the counter.

"Yo, Zoro," he said casually, with a hint of amusement. The green-haired man took a long swig of his sake and then turned around in his seat, his eyes meeting Luffy's. For a while they just stared at each other assessingly, as if sizing each other up. Everyone in the bar had put their conversations on hold and looked on, including Nami and Coby, who watched apprehensively as if expecting a fight to break out. Finally, two wide grins slowly graced the two men's faces, and the tension seemed to cease as if never there.

"Ririka, can I get two more rounds over here?" The bartender nodded, looking relieved, and poured two more cups as Luffy sat down. Luffy had begun drinking sake fairly recently, but he had quickly discovered that his tolerance was almost as high as Zoro's.

"So," he began, "how has _your_ day been?" It was an innocent question, but Zoro easily caught the meaning behind it.

"Well," he began, "I woke up tied to a post, and quickly found myself being taunted by some dumbass kid who truly wasn't as stupid as he looked." While others listening in were confused by the odd contradiction, Luffy recognized this as an insult to Helmeppo's looks rather than a compliment to his intelligence, and struggled to reign in his laughter.

"I had to restrain myself from strangling him with the ropes that he was thoroughly convinced I couldn't escape from." This time, Luffy couldn't contain his laughter. There were some things that Zoro simply couldn't cut unarmed, but ropes were not one of them.

"Don't worry," Luffy said as his laughter died down, "he'll grow up soon enough." Zoro grunted his acknowledgement of the statement that they both knew was at least partially true. "You didn't cut the Marine base in half did you?" Luffy asked. Zoro scoffed, while Nami and Coby wondered if they had interpreted the ridiculous question correctly. What was with this conversation? Finally, Zoro's gaze fell on Coby, and then it moved on to Nami, where it lingered for a bit. Nami shifted uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Who are your friends, Luffy?" he finally asked, breaking off the eye contact, much to Nami's relief.

Luffy nodded in acknowledgement. "The kid with the pink hair is Coby. He wants to become a Marine. As for the girl, she doesn't want to tell me her real name."

He said it as if it was the most trivial thing in the world. Nami, on the other hand, had immediately tensed up and her posture became more guarded. _He saw right through me and went with it! _She didn't know whether to feel amazed, fearful, or infuriated. Zoro raised a questioning eyebrow at Luffy, but the latter just shrugged. A silent conversation seemed to pass between the two, and Nami felt incredibly out of her depth. They could be plotting her death in great detail right now and she wouldn't even know.

Luffy spoke up after a while. "Well Zoro, I really only have one piece of advice for you right now." Zoro looked at him curiously, and Luffy grinned.

"Don't get stabbed by Buggy."

Zoro now glared at him as if willing his own eyes to burn a hole through Luffy's head. Several people in the bar stiffened at the killer glare, but Nami was more focused on the piece of advice itself. She only knew of one person named Buggy…

Luffy just looked back at him with the same amused smile and after a few seconds Zoro looked away and scoffed again. Then he did something their observers would never forget. Pirate Hunter Zoro burst out laughing.


	3. Arriving at Destination on Left

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. In fact, if One Piece were broken up into One Hundred Pieces, I still wouldn't inherit any of them. That's how much I don't own One Piece. God, that made no sense…

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Chapter III: Arriving at Destination on Left

While Luffy and Zoro drank to their heart's content, Nami quickly excused herself from the bar. Luffy gave a polite goodbye and said they'd meet again, which only served to unnerve her. She made her way out of the bar as Luffy ranted about how he desperately needed some meat and she quickened her steps once she was out. Something about those two just made her want to get as far away as possible. Next stop, Marine base.

The bartender watched in exasperation as Luffy devoured plate after plate of food. His body was gradually expanding before their eyes, and some had lost their appetites just watching the process. Zoro simply kept eating as if it was completely natural. Luffy finished his last plate of food, and Zoro felt kind of guilty. Ririka had offered him free food until he set out on his journey, and was quite gracious in extending that offer to a broke friend of his, but she obviously couldn't have accounted for Luffy's monster of a stomach.

Luffy sighed in contentment and stood up, his round physique sagging in response to the action. A few bystanders wondered how this was possible. When Luffy's face scrunched up in concentration and his round physique rebounded into a slim figure, muscles bulging as if the mass had been redirected, they gave up trying to make sense of anything they were seeing. Once again, Zoro acted as if this was normal. "Aaahh, that's better," Luffy said in satisfaction. "I feel like I'm at full strength now!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "I don't think we'll be back at full strength for a while, Luffy."

Luffy nodded. "We'll talk about that later."

Coby, who had resignedly stopped trying to make sense of anything the two said as well, asked the obvious question. "Um, are you guys staying here for a while? Why did you need to meet up?"

Luffy glanced at Coby and grinned. "Actually, we're going out to sea. Zoro is gonna be my first crewmate."

Coby gaped. "You mean...as a pirate?"

Luffy nodded, seemingly amused. "Yeah, what else?" Coby tried to wrap his mind around the Pirate Hunter becoming a pirate. Mutterings broke out through the bar, and one of them turned to Zoro, confident due to his drunken state.

"Whoa, whoa! The Pirate Hunter Zoro is going to follow a pirate? Is that true?"

Zoro, rather than addressing the question directly, turned back to Luffy. "So, when do we set sail, Captain?" They both ignored the increased volume of the mutterings.

"Just as soon as we get a ship that can take us," Luffy replied cheerfully.

Zoro facepalmed. _Not this shit again_. He really should have expected this. Some things never changed.

"Hey, fellas. If it's a boat you need, I run a business selling small ones. You're welcome to take one. It's the least I can do after what you've done for our town." Zoro turned to the voice and nodded gratefully. "Thanks, that'd be really helpful."

After that, they finished the last of their booze and said their farewells to Coby. Luffy told him to become a great Marine and always follow his own sense of justice, and he vowed that he would. Luffy and Zoro got their boat from the man who had volunteered his services and led them to his shop at the coast of the island, and without further ado, they set sail for the place they knew to be called Orange Town.

Getting there, on the other hand, was a different story. Luffy and Zoro marveled at the fact that they were able to get there once before, remembering that they had basically been wandering around aimlessly in search of a navigator, and by some stroke of luck, happened to find Nami. Zoro assured Luffy that Nami would go there and that her presence the first time wasn't completely random. While he was raising hell in the Marine base, he found a memo from Buggy the Clown in a safe that he knew wouldn't escape Nami's notice. They knew where Buggy was, and they didn't doubt that Nami would find him, so logically Orange Town was their next destination. However, they were getting increasingly frustrated by the second in the execution of actually getting there.

Zoro was holding the map and compass, which should have immediately rung alarm bells in Luffy's head, but he wasn't much better at this, so he was rowing for now. He watched in awe as Zoro confidently pointed in the direction they needed to go. Luffy was impressed for a moment, wondering how on earth he'd done it, before turning skeptical. "Wait a minute. How did you come to that conclusion?"

Zoro looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "What? It's not that hard. This map says that Orange Town is to the west. That means that we need to go to the left," he said patronizingly.

"Ah," Luffy said, hitting his palm with his fist as his face lit up in realization at the sound logic. "You're right. Ok, let's go." He picked up the oars and happily started rowing, continuing for about 10 seconds before he face faulted. He quickly got up, placing his arms above his head in the shape of an X. "NOOOOOOO! Wrooooong!"

Zoro looked at him as if he was sporting three heads now. "What's your problem, Luffy?" he asked, annoyed.

"Influenced! I was put under the influence! That's not how navigation works at all!" For the way Zoro was looking at him now, he might as well be a fully-grown hydra. He pointed accusingly at Zoro. "You didn't even use the compass!"

Zoro sighed. "What do you take me for?" he asked in exasperation. "Of course I did." He pointed in the direction that they had been going in. "The compass is pointing that way, so that's the way we need to go. Are you satisfied now?"

Luffy was stunned. Zoro really had been navigating with a map and compass. Suddenly he wanted to kick himself for doubting his comrade. He flashed Zoro a sheepish smile, and Zoro accepted the unspoken apology without comment. They rowed in silence for 10 more minutes before the extent of the fallacious reasoning hit Luffy with all the force of one his crazy ass grandpa's mountain-crushing fists.

_Fuck._


	4. Stabbed by Buggy? Who? When?

First, I'd like to say thanks to those that reviewed, favorited, and followed. This is actually my first time writing something like this...like, ever. In fact until recently I never could have imagined myself writing a fan fiction, but let's say I was inspired? Anyway, enjoy chapter 4.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. It would be cool if I did, but I'm not that important.

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Chapter IV: Stabbed by Buggy? Who? When?

Luffy and Zoro argued back and forth until they agreed on their best course of action...which basically involved reaching out as far as they could with their Observation Haki. If they found any human auras, then they found an island. Simple enough. As they wandered around aimlessly for a while just to cover more area, Luffy was the first to sense them. They were faint. 3 auras just a little beyond the horizon. Zoro couldn't sense them yet; his Observation Haki was weaker, but as they got closer he confirmed Luffy's findings.

As the island came into sight, Zoro spoke up. "I still say I had that under control. We just had to keep going left in the end."

Luffy let his blatant disbelief show on his face, not really caring anymore. "You know Zoro, I've been thinking about this for a while, but if we continuously went left, wouldn't we just be going in a circle?"

Zoro scoffed. "As if I'd go in a circle trying to go in a straight line. What do you take me for, Luffy?"

Rather than dignifying this with a response, Luffy instead opted to jump out of the boat, hovering in the air using Geppo as he faced Zoro.

"Try to keep up," Luffy said, grinning as he knew that Zoro could not perform the technique, having never bothered to learn it. He shot off in the direction of the island as Zoro developed a tic over his eye and started rowing furiously.

He reached the town pretty quickly, and Sky Walked around a bit, taking in the sights. He was high enough so that civilians weren't likely to take notice. Then again, he knew this island was the one they were searching for by now, and he also knew that there were more than just civilians in town. As if reacting to this revelation, a cannonball came into his peripheral vision. It was aimed right at him. He could have maneuvered out of the way pretty easily, but he quickly came up with a better idea, a devious smirk adorning his face. This seemed familiar, so if his timing was right…

He took the cannonball head-on and got shot down, landing with a crash onto the ground and making a hole in the pavement. Four witnesses stopped running and looked at his unmoving form, one in curiosity, and three in slight sympathy. Captain Buggy must have targeted the guy, whoever he was. Well, never mind that. The three armed men turned to the fourth person, who was by no means armed unless you counted the map in her hand. She prepared to run again when the alleged corpse stood up and dusted itself off, attracting their attention again.

"Shoot first, ask questions later, huh? I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from that clown," the man who was very much alive said to himself. The girl's eyes widened as she immediately recognized him. Now she really couldn't stay. She had enough troublesome people to deal with at the moment.

"Boss!" she shouted with feigned glee. The pirates looked from new arrival to her and back to the new arrival. "You're here," she continued. "Great! Mind taking care of these guys for me? I got the map, so I'll head back to the ship." Luffy watched, amused, as she hastily retreated without giving him time to potentially refute her words. Not that he would. Actually, he was planning on hold her to the statement that he was her boss now. He honestly wasn't surprised that Nami had beaten them here despite the fact that they had left first. She had no doubt gone in an actual straight line to get here. Still, this was pretty lucky.

The pirates quickly rounded on him, completely missing the sharp turn that Nami took as she sprinted behind the houses to their left. "So you're her boss, huh? I guess we can just take you to Captain Buggy, then." Luffy scoffed. "Sorry, I already have an appointment with Big Nose, and I'd rather only make one trip." The pirates looked outraged and slightly fearful at the disrespect the man showed, before falling into unconscious heap on the ground.

Nami climbed one of the rooftops to get a better view of the fight…which was over. The three men had been beaten easily. She smirked. If she could get a monster to fight her battles, why shouldn't she?

"Hey, you!" she called. He looked up at her and she waved. "Nice job down there! You kicked their asses!" She hesitated, then added, "Mind if I treat you to some food? I have a proposition for you!" Luffy nodded in agreement. Despite knowing what this would lead to, he wasn't about to turn down free food.

As Nami led her an abandoned house, Luffy frowned in thought. He knew what he could say to get Nami to join them, but he wanted her to follow him out of loyalty and trust, not out of mutual need, and he didn't even entertain the thought of manipulating her. Taking advantage of what he knew about his future crewmates would make him feel like the scum of the earth. No, Nami needed to follow him out of her own free will and he needed to provide her with a place where she belonged. Anything less would make him no different than Arlong.

So it was with that line of thought that Luffy sat down and resigned himself to the plan that was forming in his mind. It was a reckless plan, but Luffy was a reckless person, and he could hardly imagine that they'd be in any danger even if Nami repeated her exact actions from the previous timeline.

And so far, she was doing just that. The only difference was that she still hadn't told him her name. She suggested that they work together for a while. She had navigational skills he needed, and he could really throw a punch. When Luffy asked if she would join his crew, she hesitated, and said that she would only join temporarily. Satisfied for now, he mentioned that they were pirates. He didn't miss the hardening of her eyes, but she went on as if the information didn't matter.

Her proposition was to infiltrate Buggy's base of operations together and split their treasure 60/40. Luffy found it pretty hilarious that she would suggest an uneven split of the profits when she wasn't actually planning on keeping her end of the bargain. He wondered if that was just thrown in to make it more believable. But that was Nami for you. Cunning, opportunistic, and, taking into account that her plan involved both of them getting away, slightly naïve. But that would change soon enough.

Luffy heard her out and agreed to the plan. Nami didn't tie him up with ropes this time. He briefly wondered why, but quickly dismissed it as Nami recognizing that he wasn't as stupid as he made people believe. But while they walked towards the area that Buggy's crew was occupying, a small grin stretched across Luffy's face as he realized that Nami had adapted to this minor detail, and simply planned to betray him when they got there.

Luffy nearly laughed at the thought of her naïveté as they continued to walk, but caught himself. Nami wasn't stupid. Far from it. Her true problem was that she was blinded by her preconceptions and common sense. She thought ahead, but she didn't account for all the possibilities like, say, Robin did. Something that she didn't account for could really throw a wrench in her plans, even a trivial detail like her not having the strength to carry that much gold.

She also didn't account for the fact that Luffy could beat the crap out of Buggy's crew while tied up and blindfolded, but that couldn't really be expected of her. A few pirates took notice of them as they walked into the plaza, and signaled their captain. Buggy showed up and looked at them with no small amount of hostility. This was the bitch that stole their map and that annoying boss of hers. When his henchman had returned and made their report, Buggy had refrained from flaying them alive, deciding to save it for the thieves. They were certainly making this easy, though.

"What do you flashy bastards want? I hope you're here to return the map you stole!" Nami took on a devious grin as her plan unfolded. In no more than a few seconds, Luffy's hands and torso were tied up with a rope that seemed to come out of nowhere. She really was good at this.

"That's right! I'm sick of working for this guy. I've come to return the map and join your crew. You can have my boss as a gift," she shouted. Buggy looked thoughtful at this turn of events, and then started laughing. "I guess you're not as stupid as I originally thought! What's your name then?" Nami straightened and gave him the same fake name that she had given Luffy.

Figures. Pirates soon surrounded Luffy, and he rolled his eyes.

This was the part where he'd have to show restraint. Luffy wasn't really good with restraint. In fact, when two thugs shoved him in a cage that he easily remembered, he couldn't help but knock them out with a blast of Conqueror's Haki. This could have been a problem had they not been drinking so much, but as it was, the surrounding pirates just laughed, thinking it was simply the effect of the binge. Nami's eyes narrowed, but she dismissed it in favor of scanning the area discretely. She quickly located a key that she was pretty sure was to the cage, the map of the Grand Line which was handed to Buggy after she had surrendered it, and a heavily guarded building that was most likely their treasure vault.

"All right, everybody! I'm in a flashy good mood right now, so drink to your heart's content in celebration!" The pirates roared in approval at Buggy's announcement, and Nami smirked as she started drinking as well. She would be the only one without a hangover after this, and it would be all too easy for them to get away with the treasure and the map, which she would gladly take for herself before fleeing the island. All according to plan.

Her confidence faltered, however, as she took note of a dozen pirates shoving a huge cannon into the middle of the plaza. "And now," Buggy shouted, "I think a demonstration of our power and the glory of the Buggy pirate crew is in order." He turned to Nami. "Call it an initiation," he said as she looked on apprehensively. The pirates lit the fuse of the cannon, which was facing the direction of the town, and fired. Nami's eyes widened as the cannon ball blew threw several houses, completely destroying them. She quickly realized why all the houses in the area were abandoned.

She turned back and realized that they were now pointing the cannon towards the cage Luffy was in. She rounded on Buggy. "Wait! What are you—"

Buggy was grinning widely. "Like I said, call it an initiation. To prove your loyalty, I thought it would only be fair if you got the honor of disposing of that pathetic former boss of yours." Nami's eyes widened further.

_Oh, this cannot be happening._

Luffy watched as the pirates loaded the Buggy ball into the cannon and Nami stuttered nervously, trying to convince Buggy that this really wasn't necessary. Buggy handed her a match.

"Do it," he said simply. Nami broke out into a cold sweat and she turned back to Luffy, who could see she was torn.

"I wonder, do you have the resolve of a pirate? If not, you'll never get far in this crazy world of ours," he told her.

Nami's face darkened. "And what's that? The resolve to kill without a second thought?" she spat.

Luffy shook his head and grinned ferally. "The resolve to put your life on the line." Nami's hands trembled as her options were spelled out for her. She could fire the cannon and survive, proving that she was no better than the common scum that populated the world, or she could face death and stay true to her convictions.

She was broken out of her thoughts as a pirate grabbed the match from her hands. Her eyes hardened as she found her resolve. She would never be like one of these common murderers. "Come on, don't you know how to light a match? You just—"

He was abruptly interrupted mid-sentence as Nami's staff collided with his face and he was thrown back onto the ground, cursing in pain. The surrounding pirates looked outraged at the act of betrayal, but Buggy just sighed and got his knives out. He was disappointed, but he'd been expecting as much.

Luffy looked on with interest but decided that he'd seen enough. This was getting dangerous for Nami very quickly. He broke out of the ropes and shoved his foot up through the top of the cage, with disconnected from the bars and landed in a crumpled heap on the ground behind the cage. This caught pretty much everyone's attention, but they quickly lost sight of him as he jumped up into the air and let loose another blast of Conqueror's Haki, this time targeting all of the pirates in the area. Bodies fell to the ground left and right until the only ones left standing were Nami and Buggy. Nami looked around in shock at the phenomenon and at the new development. He could have escaped at any time? What is he playing at? And what did he do just now?

Meanwhile, Buggy was fuming. He recognized the King's Will when he saw it. How could this nobody thief possibly possess the same power that Captain Roger and uncle Rayleigh had? Even Cabaji had fainted! Regardless, it didn't matter. He was no pushover. He had sailed the New World and witnessed clashes between gods. He wouldn't have survived this long if he had never gained an immunity to the ability. It would take more than that to bring him down.

"Hey, Luffy! I finally found you, you bastard!" Everyone turned to the new presence that had made itself known, and Luffy laughed.

"I'm impressed, Zoro! Who knew that you were capable of finding anything?"

Zoro brushed off the insult and replied, "It was easy. I just went to the noisiest spot on the island, knowing that's where you'd be. Looks like you've caused quite the commotion." He smirked. "You know, I half-expected to find you tied up and in a cage." Luffy glared at him halfheartedly. Was this revenge?

Nami, although frantic by this point, easily made sense of the comment. Had Zoro been there this whole time? How long had he been shadowing them? She was about to voice the question when a very angry Buggy interrupted them.

"Don't ignore me, you flashy sons of bitches!" He addressed Zoro. "You! You're Pirate Hunter Zoro, aren't you? What the hell are you doing here? Have you come for my bounty?"

Zoro looked at him lazily. "Nope, not interested."

Buggy grinned. "Oh, but you see, I'm interested. After I take you out, I'll be that much more famous," he said, twirling his knives in his hands.

Zoro sighed. "Fine. Come on then." Luffy chuckled, remembering how this went last time, and Zoro shot him an annoyed look.

Buggy made his move. _**"Bara Bara Cannon!"**_ Buggy's hand quite literally flew off of his arm and headed for Zoro. Nami's face was pure comedy. What the hell is going on? She felt incredibly out of her depth again. But that wasn't as surprising as what happened next. Zoro disappeared before her eyes and Buggy let out a pained yell. She looked over at Buggy and saw the blood seeping from the wound in his side, where Zoro had evidently just cut him.

_How?_ The word echoed through Buggy's mind as he lost consciousness.


	5. A Liar's Resolve

So, some of you by this point may be concerned that the fights in this fan fiction will be too short. I just want to say that not all fights will be like this, but we will have to deal with villains being one-shotted for a little while. I'm not much of a fan of it either, but I can't honestly pretend that the enemies would actually pose a threat to Luffy and Zoro at this stage, even for the sake of making things a little more interesting. It just wouldn't be realistic. But rest assured that the easy victories will end as the plot thickens and the enemies gradually get more competent. On that note, enjoy the 5th chapter of Second Wind.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Sucks, I know.

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Chapter V: A Liar's Resolve

Luffy smiled down at the dog in front of him as he crouched down and held out his hand. "Shake," he said. The dog looked up at him assessingly, and then surprisingly, held out his paw. Luffy grabbed it and shook his hand up and down and the dog just looked at him passively as if this was a strange occurrence for him.

"Hey, you kids!" The group of three turned to the voice, two out of three recognizing him as the mayor of Orange Town. The man stopped in front of them and looked at them curiously. "Do you know what's going on? I saw those blasted pirates destroying the town again with that cursed cannon of theirs. I came to investigate and saw you three running away from their base. You're not hurt are you?" He looked absently at Chouchou. The dog didn't get along with people he didn't know. His behavior was borderline aggressive towards strangers, but he acted civil with this teenager. Strange...

"Nah," Luffy replied cheerfully. "We kicked their asses." The mayor was taken aback by this statement, and looked at him disbelievingly. These pirates had been terrorizing their town for a while. Luffy, seeing his skepticism, added, "You might wanna call the Marines while they're still unconscious. They'll wake up after a while."

Nami, who'd been staring at the ground ever since they left the plaza, not wanting to meet Luffy's eyes, looked up at the new arrival. "Are you in charge here?"

The man nodded. "I'm the mayor. But I hardly deserve the title at this point. I can't even protect my town from pillaging." Luffy thought that this was hardly his job to begin with, but didn't comment.

"Well, we'll be on our way then," Luffy said. "Remember to mention that the Buggy Pirates are incapacitated when you call them. They'll be much more likely to send a retrieval ship that way." Nami agreed wholeheartedly with the cynical logic.

The mayor looked at them with interest. "Are you three sailors?"

Luffy nodded. "Pirates. We just recruited a navigator," he said, pointing at Nami, who looked down again. Luffy frowned. She was acting pretty strange, and he could sense the guilt she was feeling. She had almost forgotten their original objective when they were about to leave, but Luffy had made sure to grab the treasure and the map.

"I'll have to confirm your story myself," the mayor said after some thought. "If what you say is true, then you have my sincerest thanks." Luffy nodded at him, and the three of them headed out towards the coast where their ships were docked. As they walked, Nami finally looked up at Luffy and spoke,

"Do you really still want me as your navigator?" He turned to her and nodded eagerly in response to the question. "I tricked you," she reminded him. "I almost got you killed." Luffy thought about telling her that there was no way he ever would have died at the hands of Buggy, or anyone in East Blue for that matter, but decided to be subtler than that.

"I'm alive, aren't I?" he said. Nami just stared at him, wondering not for the first time how his mind worked.

"You're not mad?" she asked quietly. Luffy smiled widely.

"Nah, don't worry about it," he replied. Nami let a small smile grace her lips but still felt guilty. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she couldn't join his crew permanently. She was so close. Sadness welled up inside her. She was really starting to like Luffy despite his affiliation as a pirate, but this couldn't last.

"I know this is really late, but my name is Nami," she told him.

Luffy's smile grew wider. "Welcome to the crew, Nami," he responded.

"Where do you want to go next, then?" If she couldn't stay in the crew, then she'd be damn sure to do her job well while she was here.

"Our next destination is Syrup Village," he replied. Nami looked thoughtful. She knew where it was. It was a small village on the Gecko Islands southwest of here. What did Luffy plan on doing there? She doubted there was anything of significance.

They tied their two boats together and set sail. As the island grew more distant, Nami noticed with slight panic that there was only one bag of treasure on the boat. They had separated everything into two. "Um, Luffy? Where's the other bag of gold?" she asked nervously.

"Ah, I left in on the shore for the townspeople." It took a moment for this statement to register in Nami's mind.

"You left it? That was worth at least 5 million Belly!" She yelled in frustration. Luffy just nodded.

"They're not a very wealthy town. They'll need it for repairs. Besides, you said we'd split the profits. I just gave them my share." Nami gave up and her head sagged. She had said that, and she didn't feel very deserving of that extra 10% right about now…

Luffy observed Nami out of the corner of his eye. She was definitely getting more comfortable around the two of them, but she was still slightly disconcerted after everything she'd witnessed them do. Nami was used to using her cunning to manipulate circumstances to her advantage, and she felt way out of her comfort zone when she didn't feel in control of a situation. But that was kind of the point. Luffy wanted her to feel completely at ease around them not because she could control everything, but because she trusted them to watch her back so that she wouldn't have to constantly look over her shoulder. It was still a work in progress.

* * *

On the way to the next island, Luffy and Zoro quickly got bored. They left the navigation to Nami (not that they could have helped much), and started playing rock-paper-scissors of all things. The dull game was made even blander by Zoro's unyielding belief that rock was the strongest, no matter how many times it lost to paper.

They eventually passed by a small, uninhabited island, and Luffy suggested they stop there to take a stretch. It was by far the strangest island Nami had ever seen. The animals were all odd hybrids of different land mammals, and a small man stuck in a chest who claimed he was the god of the island confronted them. He had been stranded there ever since his crew left without him after searching the island for treasure. Luffy later found what they'd been looking for, but revealed that there hadn't actually been anything in the chests. Gaimon, as he told them his name was, decided to stay on the island and look after the animals there.

* * *

After that, it wasn't long before they reached their destination. As the island came into sight, both Luffy and Zoro felt waves of nostalgia upon sensing the familiar presence on the coast. Soon, three other auras joined him. They stretched their arms and legs as they walked onto the shore, and it wasn't long before Nami noticed them. "Hey, we're being watched." They all turned toward their observers, and three of them instantly ran back towards the town.

"Hey! Don't run away before it even begins!" the fourth one shouted. He nervously turned back to the newcomers and raised a green slingshot. "Stop right there! I am Captain Usopp, the great protector of this village! State your business here, otherwise my 80 million followers will chase you to the ends of Hell!"

Luffy and Zoro exchanged an amused glance as Nami looked at the eccentric villager with disinterest. "Damn," Luffy said. "He's got over a tenth of the world's population as followers."

"That is pretty impressive. Maybe we should run," Zoro added. Usopp gulped, doing the math in his head. He hadn't really thought that one through, but it looked like they were buying it. Maybe this would work…

"He's lying," Nami stated in a bored tone.

"Crap! I've been found out," Usopp exclaimed as Luffy burst out laughing. Usopp swayed back and forth comically as he wondered out loud what he was to do now that he'd been discovered. Nami almost looked guilty for what she'd reduced him to. He quickly recovered though.

"Don't you dare laugh," he said firmly with his slingshot raised. "I am a man of intense pride! I don't take well to being laughed at! That's why everyone calls me Usopp the Proud!" This was another lie. No one called him that, but they didn't have any proof of that, did they?

"Hey, calm down," Luffy managed as his laughter subsided. "You're Yasopp's son, right? Let's just talk about things over food. We're not here to pillage or anything."

Usopp lost his balance and fell off the hill he was standing on, landing face first in the dirt. He got up with an embarrassed expression. "It's true that I'm Yasopp's son…but how did you know?"

Luffy smiled genuinely. "You remind me of him. Even the way you gloat is the same." Usopp's chest swelled up with pride upon hearing this, and he agreed to talk things over as a restaurant town. He even went as far as to offer to treat them.

Nami noted that the restaurant they were eating at had a sign that simply said "Food." This suggested that it was basically the only restaurant in the area. This really was a small village. As they ate, Luffy told Usopp stories of the boy's father and his incredible marksmanship, and Usopp listened eagerly. His eyes bulged out when Luffy mentioned that he was the sniper for the crew of Red-Haired Shanks. He always knew his father was amazing, but it felt good to hear someone confirm it.

He soon excused himself from the restaurant, though, saying that he had somewhere to be soon. They continued eating after Usopp left until the three kids from earlier rushed into the restaurant, almost falling over each other. "We're here to defend the village Captain!" one shouted with newfound resolve. He then looked around confused.

"Where's Captain Usopp?" another demanded, holding up a wooden toy dagger in what he hoped to be a menacing manner.

"Ah, that was some good meat," Luffy sighed, patting his stomach in satisfaction. The three kids looked at him in horror.

"What? No way! Don't tell me you ate the Captain!" the third one shouted indignantly. Luffy looked at him in obvious amusement. Nami giggled.

"About your Captain," Zoro said, catching their attention. He put on his best evil grin. "He was delicious." Once Nami managed to calm them down enough to convince them it was a joke, Luffy asked if they knew why Usopp took off in such a hurry. One of them, who introduced himself as Carrot, replied that he usually went up to the mansion on the hill to recite his farfetched stories to the girl that lived there. They explained that she was always sick and isolated, and that Usopp's lies cheered her up.

Luffy got up. "All right, let's go then." Carrot looked up at him.

"We're actually not allowed to go there," he said disappointedly.

"Captain gets in through a secret entrance," the boy that had introduced himself as Pepper added proudly.

"All the more reason why we should go," Luffy said casually. Nami wanted to protest the logic, but the three boys cheered and took off in the direction of the hill, led by the boy who had introduced himself as Onion. Luffy laughed and trailed after them while Zoro followed wordlessly. Nami sighed as she was outvoted.

* * *

A tall gate surrounded the mansion, stretching around the full perimeter. The vegetable trio was wondering if they could find the Captain's way in when something wrapped tightly around the waists of Zoro, Nami, Pepper, Carrot, and Onion. _**"Gomu Gomu no…"**_ Luffy said jovially. The entire group, minus Zoro, looked in shock from Luffy to what was wrapped around them and back to Luffy. It was his arm. It was coiled around them like a snake. His other arm was also stretched out and had grabbed the top of the gate.

Before anyone could question the absurdity of what was currently happening, Luffy shouted, _**"Sorry to intrude!"**_ They tried to avoid the inevitable, but were pulled along with him as he launched himself past the gate and high into the air. Luffy just enjoyed the breeze as the rest of them, minus Zoro, screamed their lungs out. Before they landed, Zoro pulled free of his grip, knowing this would only be painful if his landing was dependent on his Captain, who wasn't exactly worried about him dying from a fall like this.

He landed on his feet and skidded in a long line before finally coming to a stop. Luffy stuck the landing with his knees bent and one arm wrapped around his captive passengers, which were dangling above his head, gasping for breath. He promptly let go of them, his arm snapping back to his side as they fell to the ground in a thud. "Infiltration successful," he said formally.

"Like hell it was!" Nami shouted, wondering how they were still alive. She was about to ask what the hell he just did, but was trying to find the right words, and the veggie trio beat her to it.

"That was awesome!" Pepper shouted.

"Can we do that again!?" Carrot pleaded.

"How did you do that!?" Onion demanded.

Luffy addressed them in order as he turned to each of them. "Yes it was. Maybe later. I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi. I'm a rubber man."

"Rubber man…" Nami repeated helplessly, and her head sagged. Of all the ridiculous things in the world. Zoro looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"How could you not know by now?" he asked disbelievingly.

Nami rounded on him with her fists raised. "I've never seen him do that before!" she said defensively. "I assumed that you were just superhumans or something! The Devil Fruits are supposed to be a legend! Don't tell me you ate one too!"

"No, not me," Zoro said. "Buggy ate one, though." Nami's eyes widened in realization. Come to think of it, he had shot his hand off of his arm! How had she not questioned that event further? Was hanging around these guys numbing her reactions to things like this? Would she soon be taking it in stride every time her conceptions of reality were skewed? The thought dismayed her.

"Hey! What the hell are you guys doing here?" Nami turned to the familiar voice. She hadn't noticed Usopp up in the tree until now. He was on a branch level with an open window that a young girl was leaning out of. Nami opened her mouth to respond, but paused. What were they doing here?

Luffy grinned widely and pointed at Usopp. "We're here to recruit you!" Usopp's eyes widened to epic proportions. Recruit him? Weren't they pirates? Excitement welled up inside him but we quickly composed himself. He pointed to himself confidently.

"Finally, someone recognizes my talent. Tell you what. Let me be the captain and I'll join you," he said with his arms crossed and a confident smirk on his face.

"No way!" Luffy shouted, still smiling. This caused Usopp to lose his balance and almost fall out of the tree. "You can be the sniper, though. I'll bet you have really good marksmanship," he added.

This caught Usopp's attention and he almost forgot about being captain. "You bet I do! You won't find a better sniper in all of East Blue!" They all looked at the bold statement with mixed reactions. Nami was wondering what kind of sniper used a slingshot, Zoro was wondering how he could know that when he'd never left his island, and Luffy was thinking that despite Usopp's nature for blatant lies, his statement might actually be true.

The girl leaning out the window, who had been silent up until now, spoke up, "Are these friends of yours, Usopp?" Usopp looked at her and waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, them? They're just fans of mine. They wanted to join my awesome pirate crew." Nami felt embarrassed for the guy. Did he have no humility? Luffy had just invited him. Come to think of it, he hadn't really given an answer yet, but Luffy seemed complacent as if he had already said yes.

"Hey, you delinquents! What do you think you're doing?" Everyone, minus Luffy and Zoro, turned to the new voice. It was a tall man with slick black hair and round glasses. He wore a formal suit and tie and walked with rigidity. Usopp and Kaya stilled upon seeing him. He stopped in front of the tree and looked at everyone other than Kaya with distaste. "You are all trespassing on private property. I suggest you leave now."

"Klahadore! It's OK…we were just talking. You don't need to kick them out," Kaya said pleadingly. The caretaker looked at Kaya and shook his head.

"I cannot allow this, Miss Kaya. Your condition is bad enough without that ruffian's influence. I will not allow him to poison your mind with his ridiculous fabrications." Usopp was trying his best to take the not so subtle insults in stride, but everyone could tell he was having trouble. Kaya looked angry but held her tongue. Nami was confused. Kaya did look pale, but not letting her have visitors wouldn't help at all. If anything, Usopp's visits should aid her mental wellbeing. What she needed was social interaction, not isolation from her peers. Didn't this Klahadore realize that he could very well be making her condition worse by insisting on her seclusion?

She looked at Luffy and Zoro to see their reactions. They were staring at each other intensely as if they were having a conversation…minus the conversation. Nami grew annoyed as Zoro nodded at Luffy and they both turned back to observe the scene before them. How did they do that anyway? How did that even work?

Usopp, although disgruntled, decided to ignore the insult and try to reason with the caretaker. "Listen, I'm sorry I trespassed, and I don't want any trouble or anything. I just thought Kaya could use the company. She never sees anyone and…"

"And?" Klahadore interrupted. "Do you presume to insinuate that you know what would best aid in Miss Kaya's recovery better than her own caretaker? What could a person of your upbringing possibly know about her needs?" Usopp was really having a hard time composing himself now. Upbringing? What did he mean by that? Kaya was looking at her caretaker in horror.

Either Klahadore didn't notice that he had offended or didn't care. He continued, "Of course, I suppose I shouldn't set such high standards from the son of a filthy pirate. Breaking and entering must be a second nature to you, but I'm afraid I must ask that you not come back…"

He was forcefully interrupted as Usopp's fist collided with his face. He fell back onto the ground and glared up at him in annoyance. "Don't worry," Usopp said quietly. "I was just leaving." He turned around and stomped out of the compound, the infuriated scowl never leaving his face. Kaya had covered her mouth and was watching him leave with regret.

The veggie trio shouted insults at Klahadore for good measure before running off after their captain. Luffy motioned for Zoro and Nami to follow him as he too turned to leave. Nami took one sad look at Kaya before following. She felt bad for her, but wasn't really in a position to help in any way. When they got back to the restaurant, Luffy told Zoro and Nami to hang out while he went to look for Usopp. Zoro nodded. Nami wondered what he was planning to say.

* * *

Luffy found Usopp sitting under a tree at the edge of a cliff. He walked over and sat down next to him. Usopp noticed but didn't look at him. He was lost in his own thoughts. After a while, Luffy spoke, "It's not her fault, you know." Usopp still didn't turn to look at him.

"No, it's not," he said.

"And your visits are helping her," Luffy added. Usopp looked up at the clouds and sighed.

"Yeah, I know," he said. Luffy nodded. That was that, then. They sat in silence for a minute before Luffy nudged Usopp, who looked up at him in question. Luffy put one finger to his lips and then pointed down at the beach. Usopp followed his finger and stiffened as he spotted Klahadore walking towards an eccentrically dressed man with heart shaped sunglasses that he had never seen before.

Already suspicious, Usopp got down on his stomach and looked over the ledge, and Luffy followed suit. As they listened in on the conversation that was being held below them, Usopp's eyes gradually widened in shock and then narrowed in outrage. Luffy kept a consistent focused glare on his face until the two men below them parted and walked in opposite directions. Usopp waited a few seconds to take in everything he had just heard, and then got up and abruptly started running in the direction of the village. Luffy quickly caught up and grabbed him by the arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Let go! I have to warn them!" he shouted now that they were out of earshot.

"Will they believe you? Can they even help anything if they do?" Luffy asked quietly. Usopp's eyes widened as he realized the obvious answer to both questions. His expression turned troubled and he looked at the ground.

"Then what can I do? This is the village I grew up in, I can't just abandon them to their fate!" Luffy nodded in acknowledgement and, having been prompted for advice, started brainstorming a plan out loud. Usopp kept a focused expression and nodded every now and then, as well as throwing in his own suggestions. By the time they met up with Zoro and Nami, the veggie trio was nowhere in sight. Luffy and Usopp filled them in on what happened. Nami looked mildly disturbed but kept calm, while Zoro's expression conveyed nothing of his thoughts.

With the plan decided on, the four started making preparations for the following morning. Usopp walked towards the beach with a stern expression, contemplating what was about to go down. He always lied to the townspeople, claiming that pirates were coming.

He would ensure that it remained a lie.


	6. The Power of Will

So just to address some questions that have come up:

1.) Dialogue - A couple people suggested that I start a new paragraph when there is a new speaker. I'll do that from now on, as I can see how it would make things easier to read.

2.) Zoro's navigation skill- He has none to speak of. Sorry if this wasn't clear at the end of chapter 3. He thought that going west was the same thing as going left, and that the needle of the compass always points in the direction that they need to go. Luffy is better at it than him, but not by much, and it took him a while to realize that this logic was fucked up, whereas Zoro never even saw the problem with it. So, yeah. Zoro is a pretty good embodiment of my screen name.

3.) Pairings - It's unlikely that there will be any. If there are, I will most likely put them in an epilogue, but don't expect to see any in the main storyline, because as of now, the chances of that are pretty slim.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I do have a laptop though. It helps me write this story and shit.

* * *

Chapter VI: The Power of Will

The sun was rising, and Usopp was fidgeting in anticipation of the coming conflict. There were two slopes that led up to the village from opposite ends of the island, and Zoro had suggested that they split into two pairs to cover both sides. Luffy and Usopp covered the coast where they had eavesdropped in on Klahadore (or rather, Captain Kuro, Usopp reminded himself), while Zoro and Nami covered the opposite side. Usopp had asked how they would signal each other when one group engaged the pirates, and Luffy cryptically stated that he and Zoro had it covered.

As the sun completed its ascension above the horizon, Usopp wondered how much longer they should wait. Suddenly, Luffy's head perked up. "They're here. They're coming from the other side." Usopp's eyes widened.

"How do you know?" he asked skeptically.

"Zoro signaled me," Luffy replied. He grabbed Usopp's arm. "Hang on. It's gonna be a rough ride."

He then used his legs to launch them both high into the air, and started using Geppo to get them to the other side quickly. Zoro had been suppressing his aura enough that Luffy hadn't been able to sense it from across the island, until it had suddenly erupted from his location once again. That was their signal. It was simple yet effective, and no one other than the two of them could interpret it.

Usopp eyes would have widened comically if they weren't shut tightly in response to the wind rushing at their faces. Ok, this was ridiculous. He had overheard that Luffy had eaten a Devil Fruit and was a rubber man. To his credit, he had only blinked when he heard that. But that didn't explain why Luffy could _fly_. Was he even human? It was about a 6 km stretch between the two coasts, and he crossed it in less than a minute. Usopp was a good runner, but it would have taken him at least 10 minutes to go that distance.

Zoro took notice of them as they touched down on the slope leading down to the north shore. Nami spotted them and frowned in curiosity. Zoro had said he was signaling Luffy a minute ago. How did they get here so fast?

It wasn't long before a large ship with the mark of the Black Cat Pirates pulled onto the shore, and the roar of pirates itching to pillage the village became discernable. They rushed off of the ship and flooded onto the path, running up the hill before stopping when the unexpected sight of their opposition reached their eyes. They looked at each other in confusion, having been told that no one would be expecting them. "Hey, Jango!" one of them shouted back to the ship. "There are a bunch of teenagers in the way! I thought this was supposed to be a surprise attack!"

Jango looked a little confused as well, but shouted back, "Does it matter? If they're in the way, just kill them! We're in a rush, Captain Kuro told us to meet him by morning!" Before the pirate that had given his report could turn back to address the four of them, he felt a painful sting in his back and fell over onto the ground. The other pirates traced the path of the projectile back to one of the teenagers, who had a small green slingshot raised. They scowled, having been robbed of first blood. Zoro grinned in approval. First to hit wins. Usopp's legs trembled as the pirates charged in on him. He shot a few more pellets out, each of them hitting their target as he backed away. He would lose control of the fight once they got to him.

Unfortunately his shots weren't lethal, and once the fallen pirates got past their pain, they got up and continued their charge with renewed vigor. They eventually reached him, and blades surrounded him as he rushed to reload another pellet. He wasn't going to make it. He flinched as the swords bore down on him.

The blades were halted mid-swing, however, and Usopp looked up to see several pirates desperately pushing against a single sword with all their might. Usopp watched his savior with awe as the swordsman held back the blades that he had intercepted with deadly precision without budging an inch. He pushed them off balance with a quick swipe of his weapon and began cutting them down one by one with cold efficiency. Not a single blade reached him. The pirates chose to ignore Usopp for now and swarm the swordsman like wasps. Usopp began to worry as Zoro was surrounded, but he promptly spun around and swung his sword in a circular circumference. The pirates were blown away by the wind produced by the swing, and the rock walls surrounding the path abruptly stopped some of them. But as even the ones who didn't hit the walls failed to get back up, Usopp realized there was more to it. They all had deep gashes where the wind had hit them. Had he just cut them from a distance?

Usopp watched in fascination, and even Nami looked up from the pirate she was redundantly bludgeoning into the ground with her staff. The pirates stopped charging, now wary of the foe that had already taken down a fourth of their members. They quickly realized that it was suicide to take him on close range. The majority of the pirates cursed their lack of funds as a select few pulled out pistols and started shooting at Zoro. The swordsman almost looked insulted, and Usopp's eyes bulged out as he gracefully deflected their fire. Nami also looked on with an awestruck impression. He wasn't lining his swords up with the gun barrels to block their aim. He was reacting to the projectiles after they were fired. She wouldn't have guessed that such a feat was possible.

Usopp turned to Luffy with and shouted over the gunshots. "He can deflect gunfire!?"

Luffy smirked. "Is that what it looks like?" Usopp turned back and his eyes widened further as he saw what Luffy was implying. Zoro wasn't deflecting the bullets. He was cutting them in half.

The pirates finally ran out of ammo and Zoro grinned mockingly. "You done yet?" They looked at him in fury with a hint of fear, and charged again. The pirate leading the charge leapt at him with a giant hammer, intent on smashing his precious sword. The stone hammer was cut down the middle, the two halves falling off of the stick to which it had been attached. Its wielder backed up in fear, but the pirates behind him were still charging. Zoro raised his blade into a horizontal ready position as if he was about to swat them all away from a distance, when a voice behind made him stop and duck.

"_**Gomu Gomu no…Whip!**_" Luffy's leg blurred from sight and the charging pirates were all swept off their feet and knocked into the solid wall of rock. "Don't hog all the fun, Zoro," Luffy pouted.

"You could have jumped in at any time," he replied.

Jango was getting frustrated. Half of their crew had been taken out now. He got out his hypnotic ring and turned towards their remaining forces, which were visibly cowering. "Failure is not an option, you dipshits!" he shouted. "When I say 1, 2, Jango, your cowardice will disappear and you will become stronger. 1…2…Jango!"

The men's eyes hardened and their muscles bulged. As if they had completely forgotten the slaughter that had just occurred, they let out a battle cry and charged forward with their fists in the air, "Aaaaaauuuugggghhhh!"

Luffy grinned and threw his fists above his head as he dashed forward, yelling, "Aaaaauuuuggghh!" in mocking imitation. The pirates were not deterred at all under their hypnotic influence. "_**Gomu Gomu no…**_" Luffy's fists seemed to multiply for a second before they blurred out of sight, much like his leg earlier. "_**Gatling!**_" The Black Cat Pirates, for all their miraculous mental steroids, dropped like flies as they were mowed down by the invisible assault.

Jango cringed. If this kept up, Kuro would have their heads. "Sham! Buchi! Come show these fools what happens to those who mess with the Black Cat Pirates!" Two more pirates jumped down from the ship. One was slim and one…not so slim. It was clear that both took the cat thing way too far, though. They looked at Zoro fearfully, then turned back to Jango, and fell to their knees groveling.

"What are you trying to do to us Jango?" the slim one sobbed.

"They just took down most of our crew! There's no way we can fight those guys," the larger one said miserably.

"Whatever," Jango replied, pulling out his hypnotic ring again. "When I say 1, 2, Jango, you will both stop groveling and get stronger. 1…2…Jango!"

The two men's muscles bulged considerably, but their sobbing only intensified. Jango developed a tic over his eye. "Alright, that's enough already! Get your asses in gear before I kick them from here to the Red Line!"

The two catlike men jumped and ran clumsily in the direction of Luffy and Zoro, arms flailing and tears still trailing down their faces. Jango scowled. That act of theirs was annoying and unnecessary. They were already late.

Luffy and Zoro looked at each other with raised eyebrows as the two homo felinins made their way over to them. "You don't want to do that," Luffy said in a bored tone.

"We tend to get less merciful when our enemies don't get the message," Zoro said lazily. Sham and Buchi continued, breaking off from each other to confront the two. Their arms were still flailing randomly as they drew closer. Luffy sighed.

As they came into range, the doubt disappeared from their faces and their movements became more fluid and purposeful. Nami and Usopp watched in horror as the smirks developed on their faces, contrasting with their false tears. Sham and Buchi lunged forward, claws intent on digging into flesh. These two had severely underestimated them.

Buchi impaled himself on Zoro's sword and his arms fell toward his sides as he coughed up blood. Sham threw himself into Luffy's outstretched leg and felt his ribcage shatter as the crimson liquid spilled from his lips as well.

"Oh well," Luffy said.

"We did warn them," Zoro finished.

Jango gritted his teeth in anger. Those useless felines had been defeated so easily! "I have no choice now," he spoke under his breath. "I'll have to hypnotize myself and finish this. Captain Kuro will be here soon."

"Actually," a voice came from behind him, "your captain is already here."

Jango spun around and almost stumbled as he faced the green-haired swordsman. When had the man gotten behind him? How had he not noticed the man's approach? He jumped back but froze when a familiar voice came from direction of the village.

"Jango," it said menacingly, "Didn't I tell you all to meet me at the mansion?" Jango didn't dare turn around to face his death, but he could tell that the man was walking closer. Kuro stopped in front of Luffy and a fierce scowl spread across his face. "What the hell is going on!?" he shouted.

This galvanized Jango back into action. He whipped out his ring and faced Zoro. "When I say 1, 2, Jango, you will fall asleep!"

Zoro looked at him impassively. "Of course I will," he said as he walked towards him.

"1…2…Jango!" he yelled triumphantly.

Zoro lifted up his sword and slashed down Jango's midsection. Blood stained his clothes and he fell back onto the ground. "How…?" he managed before slipping under.

"I closed my eyes," Zoro said blandly. "It's not hard."

Meanwhile, Kuro was struggling to reign in his temper. He was the only Black Cat Pirate left standing, and he didn't even consider himself a pirate anymore. Useless, the lot of them. If you wanted something done…he thought as he adjusted his glasses with his palm so as to not cut himself with the five katana attached to his fingers…you did it yourself.

He was about to make his move when a voice called out to him, "Klahadore!" He turned to face Kaya, who looked like she'd been crying, which made sense. She'd probably woken up and found Merry in a bloody heap on the floor of the mansion. What surprised him was the gun she was pointing at him. "Please leave this village. I'll give you the sum of my wealth, but you can't hurt anyone! You must leave in peace," she said firmly.

"Kaya! What are you doing here!? Run or he'll kill you!" Usopp shouted.

Kuro started at her for a few seconds. Then he broke out laughing. Kaya's eyes widened. "Sorry, Miss Kaya, but this isn't just about the money. I had plenty of it back when I was Captain Kuro." His eyes hardened as he relived the memories. "What I couldn't stand was the lifestyle. The Marines constantly attacking my ship. Bounty hunters following me wherever I went. It all got so annoying. What I want is a peaceful life. The villagers trust me. I have a good standing within the village. All I need now…" A feral grin broke out across his face as Kaya looked at him in horror, "is for you to die so I can inherit your wealth."

He walked up to Kaya, who despite what she was hearing, couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger. Images of her time spent with the caretaker replayed in her mind and her hands trembled. Kuro reached her and swiped the gun from them. "And you _will_ write that will. I don't care what I have to do," he said quietly, reaching for her face with his long claws. Tears welled up in Kaya's eyes. This couldn't be Klahadore. How could it be?

A shift in the air made Kuro freeze, and he swiftly turned around and blocked an oncoming pellet with his claws, swatting it away. "What a coincidence, Usopp," he said menacingly as he lunged towards the sniper. "I still owe you for that punch you gave me." Usopp got another pellet ready, but Kuro was too close already. He wouldn't make it…

A fist collided with Kuro's face before he got within range. The impact sent him sailing through the air until he collided with the rock wall and fell to the ground. "Now you owe us double," Luffy said with a cocky grin.

Kuro struggled to get up as he fought off the first signs of a concussion. He glared furiously at Luffy. "A Devil Fruit eater. I wasn't planning on killing anyone myself today, but it looks like there are plenty of volunteers. He bent over and started swaying back and forth. "_**Shakushi,**_" he whispered, before vanishing from sight. At least that's what happened from the point of view of Usopp, Nami, and Kaya. Luffy and Zoro looked on in apathy as he appeared to run around slashing random objects in slow motion. Should they do something…? He wasn't even attacking them.

Kuro was moving at around the speed of a novice Soru user, but he didn't have the reaction speed to keep up with his own movements, and was suffering from severe tunnel vision. Luffy guessed that he was just attacking anything his eyes could perceive. It would work, in theory, against most East Blue enemies. If they couldn't keep track of his movements, they'd eventually be taken down. It would be more effective against a crowd of enemies, though, and Luffy didn't really have the temperament to wait for Kuro to find them.

So he leapt forward, grabbing Kuro right out of his attack, and threw him. He collapsed on the ground and growled in frustration before picking himself up. "You know," Luffy began. "You suck as a fighter, but as a pirate you fail miserably."

"Neither of those things bother me," Kuro responded. "I am no longer a pirate, and after this, I will never have to fight again."

Luffy shook his head. "That's just the thing. You look down at the life of a pirate, but the fact remains that you couldn't handle it. You ran away with your tail between your legs." Kuro's eyes narrowed. He didn't like what this kid was implying. He wanted a life of peace, but a coward he was not. Luffy smiled, knowing he had struck a nerve. "Your will is weak," Luffy continued. "Usopp's ambition is much greater than yours."

This time Kuro scowled fiercely. "What kind of joke is this? You're comparing me to that pretend pirate?" Luffy shook his head.

"Did you even hear me? Like I said, you can't compare to him. You're nothing, just a butler with a get rich quick scheme. There's no one in my crew whose ambition doesn't shit all over yours."

Kuro was really getting frustrated now. "Enough! Just how am I inferior to that play pretend pirate!? Fame? Power? Intellect? Tell me! And don't give me that 'willpower' bullshit! Foolish ambitions will get you nowhere in this world!"

Luffy's grin grew positively bestial. "Would you like to test that out, then? Let's see who will get farther between you and my crew members." Luffy raised one hand to his straw hat and let loose the most powerful blast of Conqueror's Haki that he had used so far in this timeline. Kuro immediately fell to his hands and knees, his eyes widened to epic proportions. He looked up at Luffy with an infuriated and terrified glare. He gritted his teeth and sweat poured down his face as he tried to fight off the darkness that was claiming him, but after a few seconds he gave in and his head fell to the ground with a thud.

Zoro felt the pressure from the blast on his psyche, and raised an eyebrow as he brushed off its effects. Why had Luffy even bothered aiming it at him? Had he just decided to bombard the entire area? His eyes widened slightly at the thought, and he turned toward Nami and Usopp. They were both kneeling on the ground, eyes open but unfocused. Beads of sweat trailed down their faces and their jaws were clenched, as if they were fighting off some unknown foe. After about 10 seconds they both recovered, panting for breath, and looking around frantically. Luffy looked a little guilty as he looked back at them proudly. Zoro snuck a glance at Kaya. She had been unaffected, wondering what was going on with everyone. At least Luffy had left her out of it. Zoro didn't think a whiff of the King's Disposition would help her condition.

Zoro speculated briefly about what Luffy's motive was. The obvious answer was that he wanted to expose them to the effects of the King's Will. Fighting off its effects naturally strengthened one's willpower if done successfully. It was like exercising a muscle. The next time Nami and Usopp encountered a blast of that magnitude they would have a significantly easier time with it. But why so early?

Zoro was confident that Luffy was the only awakened Conqueror in East Blue. Even in Paradise they were scarce. It wasn't until one sailed the New World that the power became somewhat common and resistance to it became a must. Was Luffy just getting a head start with their crewmates? That was assuming, of course, that Luffy wasn't just trying to prove a point. He'd always had a lot of faith in his comrades.

"What should we do with the Black Cat pirates? They'll just wreak havoc when they wake up," he said as Luffy walked by.

"They won't be waking up for a while," Luffy replied. "The Marines will be here before they do." Zoro nodded. If Luffy had aimed his Haki at the entire area, then it wasn't just Kuro that would be out for a while. Nami and Usopp had fully recovered and walked over.

"What the hell was that just now? I felt like death was looming over me," Nami said shakily. Usopp voiced his agreement.

"Ah, sorry. That was me," Luffy replied. Nami rounded on him, infuriated.

"What the hell do you mean it was you!? What the hell did you even do!? And whatever the hell you did, why the hell did you do it to us!?" she yelled with her fist raised.

"Aw, come on Nami, it was just to prepare you. And it builds character," he said cheerfully.

"You still haven't told us what it was," Usopp said curiously. Luffy thought for a moment as if having an inner debate with himself. _Eh, what the hell_, he thought.

"It's called Conqueror's Haki. One in a million people in the world are born with it. It allows you to forcefully overpower the minds of those with weak wills. Traits like self-confidence and mental discipline help one resist it, but the most important factor is willpower. A person with an unbendable will won't even bat an eye in the face of the most powerful Conqueror. Not doubting. That is true power."

Nami and Usopp took in the explanation with thoughtful expressions, and then they both nodded. Who knew that such a thing existed? The world truly was vast.

* * *

That afternoon, after Merry had been bandaged up and briefed on the situation, he and Kaya told Luffy, Zoro, and Nami to meet them on the south shore. When they arrived, Nami's eyes filled with glee. Anchored near the coast was a white caravel that strongly resembled a goat.

"It's called the Going Merry," Merry said. "It's an older model, but it should be helpful to you. Consider it a thank you gift." Nami agreed wholeheartedly. It was still a relatively small ship, but it was much more spacious than what they'd been using up until now.

Luffy and Zoro stared at the ship for a little while. Memories flashed through their mind: some happy, some painful, but all meaningful. After a while Luffy just looked at Merry and Kaya. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Usopp was looking at the ship fondly as Luffy, Zoro, and Nami boarded, but he also looked a bit uncomfortable. He looked from Luffy, to the ship, and back to Luffy. "Um…" he began awkwardly. "I was wondering if your offer to join your crew was still was still in effect." Luffy looked at him confusedly.

"Huh?" was all he said.

Usopp looked down. "Well, it's OK if it's not. I'm sure we'll meet on the sea someday," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked, confused. "You already joined, remember? Now get on."

Usopp's eyes widened before a wide grin spread across his face. "I'm…I'm the Captain!" he shouted, jumping into the air with his fist raised.

"Not a chance," Luffy said as Usopp climbed aboard. "But if you want you can be second in command when Zoro's hung over."

"I don't get hung over!" Zoro sputtered indignantly.

Luffy smirked. "You might as well. With the way you sleep, there would be no difference."

Zoro scowled. "Why do people with low tolerances always try to make up for it by talking shit?"

Luffy's smirk grew wider. "You speak as if those swords don't compensate for anything."

It took all of a second for that to sink in before the two were full out brawling on the deck of their new ship. It lasted for a full two minutes before Nami and Usopp decided to risk their well being to pull them apart. They had to set sail at some point.


	7. A Chef's Code

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. If I did, I'd be Pirate King. Either that or Eiichiro Oda…

* * *

Chapter VII: A Chef's Code

Kaya watched in melancholy as the Going Merry faded out of sight over the horizon. Usopp was finally making his way out into the vast seas. Her eyes threatened to water as she remembered their conversation from earlier that afternoon. After the conflict, Usopp had pulled her aside in the restaurant. He had explained that he was finally going out to sea today, and wanted to make sure that she would be OK. She had replied with conviction that she would be.

She was sad that he was leaving, of course, but she could never bring herself to stand in the way of his dream. She had assured him that her condition was getting better. It really was. She felt better than she had in a long time, since her parents had passed away. She remembered first falling ill that day, and being visited by a strange young boy with a long nose, who had started telling her stories of his adventures to a sky island where pure souls went after they passed, and what an amazing and happy place it was. His lies had been ridiculous, but she had listened eagerly to them all the same.

A year later she would find out that the boy's father had been a pirate who left on a journey to roam the seas. His mother had fallen ill soon afterwards, and the boy had run through the town yelling that pirates were coming, that his father's ship had arrived on the coast, that his father was waiting to see his wife alive and well. Kaya cried more that day than she had since her parents had died.

How he must have felt, seeing her fall into despair. She had almost lost the will to live like his mother must have. She resolved that day to live on and to overcome her condition so that he wouldn't have to worry, but it was just so hard. Only the boy's frequent visits and eccentric fictions kept her going.

"_Pirates are coming_!" she heard three juvenile voices shout in the distance. She smiled, still looking out at the horizon even after the ship vanished from her sight. _Good luck, Usopp_. _You don't have to worry about me. I'll be OK from now on. Just sail on, and live strong._

* * *

The Going Merry made it's way through calm, cerulean waters as a couple seagulls flocked overhead. Luffy jumped onto his feet from the dock where a dripping paint bucket lay and held up a flag with a poorly drawn pirate flag excitedly. "It's done!"

His three crewmates stared at the abomination with neutral expressions. Usopp was the first to comment. "What's done? Your prop for a live adaptation of _When Flags Attack_?"

"Are you that artistically challenged? Or is this some kind of abstract art?" Nami asked curiously.

"You guys are missing the point," Zoro said, shaking his head in disappointment. "A pirate flag is meant to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. If _I_ cringe at the sight of it, then it's picture perfect.

Luffy pouted at his crewmates' reactions. It wasn't as if he hadn't been working on his artistic talent since the first time he'd attempted this. Usopp grabbed the brush from his hand. "Your first draft was…terrible, Luffy. But let an old pro show you how it's done."

With that, he quickly painted a Jolly Roger on another flag. Only it wasn't a Jolly Roger for the Straw Hat Pirates. It had a long nose, a brown hat with a crossed stripe pattern, and a slingshot in place of one of the crossbones. Luffy continued to stare at it as he bonked Usopp over the head.

"Third draft's the charm," he said as Zoro and Nami laughed out loud. Usopp gave in and drew a perfect Straw Hat Jolly Roger, just the way Luffy remembered it. He cheered. "All right, Usopp! Now the sail!" Once that was painted, Luffy really got psyched. The ship was exactly the same. Zoro wore a small smile as well as he looked up at the finished product. "The pirate ship Going Merry is ready for action!" He picked up his drink from the deck. "A toast to our two new comrades," he said gleefully.

"Cheers!" they all shouted as they clinked their cups together.

"So, now that we have our ship, what's next, Luffy?" Nami asked. Luffy thought for a moment and turned his attention to the positions that needed to be filled.

"Well, we'll need a chef," he began. "As well as a doctor, and eventually, a carpenter. We should also recruit someone once we get into the Grand Line who has practical knowledge and experience from traveling the area." Luffy and Zoro fit this description of course, but Luffy was thinking about Robin. Nami nodded at each suggestion, genuinely impressed. Luffy had really thought this through. "And of course, we'll need a musician at some point. Can't go without that."

Nami sweatdropped. "Uh, right." Luffy looked at her innocently.

"What? Pirates love to sing. Right Zoro? Come on buddy, let's get a duet going."

"Piss off."

"See?" Luffy concluded, turning back to Nami. Suddenly they heard the sound of cannon fire and turned to see Usopp standing in front of one of their few cannons with a shocked expression on his face. In the distance, they could see the shattered remains of what looked to be a strange rock formation.

"I hit it," Usopp whispered in shock.

"Nice, Usopp! You're definitely our crew's sniper from now on!" Luffy stilled, though, as he sensed two auras at the rock formation. One was frantic and desperate, while the other was extremely faint. A relevant memory suddenly came back into Luffy's mind. "Nami, can you take us over to that rock?" Nami looked confused but did as she was asked. Comprehension quickly dawned on Zoro's face and he started to look worried, no doubt sensing the weak state of the second aura.

As they pulled up next to the rock formation, someone jumped onto their ship. "Damn pirates! First you attack us while we're vulnerable, and now you show up to finish the job! It won't be that easy," he shouted angrily before catching sight of Zoro. "Zoro…aniki?" he said with a confused expression.

Zoro quickly got down to business. "Johnny, what happened to Yosaku?" Johnny's shoulders sagged as he made his account of what had happened. When he got to the part where a cannonball had come and almost killed them, Usopp's jaw dropped and his face took on a blue tint. "I'm very sorry," he said, bowing. Before Johnny could respond, Luffy cut in.

"Bring him onto our ship. We'll see what we can do for him." Johnny quickly obeyed, his mind filling with hope. He brought the sick man onto the Going Merry carefully, and Nami's face took on a focused expression at the sight of him.

"Is he gonna be ok, aniki?" Johnny was on the verge of tears. Zoro turned to Nami.

"Scurvy?" he asked sternly. Nami nodded.

"Usopp, can you go get some limes from the fridge, squeeze the juice out, and bring it here?" she asked.

Usopp followed her instructions hastily. He came back with a cup full of juice, and Nami told him to let the man drink it, which he did.

"He should recover in a few days time," Nami told Johnny, whose eyes widened.

"Really sis!? He's gonna be ok!?" he asked in relief.

"Don't call me sis. And yeah, he'll be fine. Just make sure he gets more vitamin C in the future. Yosaku suddenly got up and looked at his hands in awe.

"I'm…alive," he stated in wonder. Johnny really did start crying now.

"He's better! It's a miracle!" Both men cheered and started dancing around the ship. Luffy and Usopp joined in.

"You don't get better that quickly, dipshits! Lay your ass back down!" Nami screamed in frustration. Yosaku unwillingly did as he was told, passing out in the process. She signed. "Let this be a lesson to all of us. Things like this can happen on the open sea. We have to be prepared for long journeys."

Luffy nodded. "I guess our first goal is to get a chef then," he said matter-of-factly.

"If you're looking for a chef, I know a place around here that sounds promising. Of course, actually getting one to join you is a different story, but you should head to Baratie, the floating sea restaurant."

"A restaurant at sea?" Usopp asked curiously. There certainly were a lot of strange things in the world.

"Sounds like fun! Let's go," Luffy said jovially.

"You should be able to get there in a couple days," Johnny said. But you have to be careful. This place is kind of close to the Grand Line, so there is no shortage of dangerous adversaries." He turned to Zoro. "I heard Hawk-Eye Mihawk was sighted in the area as well." Zoro let a small grin cross his features.

* * *

Two days later, the excited voices of Johnny and Yosaku echoed across the ship. "Zoro-aniki! Luffy-aniki! Nami-aniki! Usopp! We've arrived!"

"Why am _I_ aniki?" Nami grumbled.

"Why am _I _not aniki?" Usopp grumbled.

"So, what do you think?" Johnny asked once they made their way out. He observed their reactions. Zoro kept a blank face. Nami smiled and let out a low whistle. Usopp looked on in awe. Luffy wore a wide grin.

"It's a huge fish! So cool! I'm getting psyched," he said enthusiastically.

"When you guys are done, we've got company," Zoro commented. A Marine ship made pulled up next the Going Merry. Nami, Usopp, and the bounty hunter duo all stiffened as someone walked out onto the deck of the by default enemy ship.

"Hey, you pirates! I've never seen your flag before. I am Marine Lieutenant Ironfist Fullbody. Who's your captain? Identify yourselves."

"I am Straw Hat Luffy!" Luffy shouted as he stepped forward.

"I am Honorable Liar Usopp!" Usopp shouted, stepping up beside him. Luffy shot him an annoyed look, but turned his attention back to Fullbody.

"Our mark was just made a couple days ago!" he shouted.

"I was the one who made the mark!" Usopp added. He was about to shout something else, but Zoro walked forward and bonked him over the head, causing him to bite his tongue. Zoro then proceeded to drag him away, telling him to come make himself useful.

"Well, I'm just here to eat at the restaurant. Consider yourselves lucky. But the next time we meet, consider your lives forfeit," Fullbody shouted. "Come on darling, our food is waiting for us." But as their ship pulled up towards the entrance to the restaurant, Fullbody turned to the Marine on duty and pointed his thumb down. "Their ship is an eyesore. Sink it."

"Hey, the bastards are firing at us!" Yosaku yelled frantically. Luffy was ready for the cannonball that flew towards their ship and batted it away with his fist. It exploded when it hit the water, but their ship was unharmed. "What the hell did you just do!?" Yosaku asked.

"I punched it," Luffy said as if it was obvious.

"You don't just punch a cannonball away! That's not possible, you know!?" Johnny chimed in.

"Well I just did, so it clearly is," Luffy said sensibly. The enemy Marines, who had been ordered to sink their ship, not just fire at it once, scrambled for the second cannonball that they didn't think they'd need, and fired again. This time, Luffy kicked the cannonball up into the air where it exploded again without leaving a mark on the ship. Yosaku and Johnny watched with awestruck expressions. Could he do this all day?

Suddenly, the sound of a cannon went off again, but this time the cannonball flew _from_ the Going Merry. It hit the Marine ship dead-on through the hull and exploded. The larger Marine ship started to sink after one shot. All eyes turned towards Usopp, who looked shocked himself.

_OK, this definitely makes up for earlier_, Luffy decided. As the Marines panicked at the sight of their ship slowly sinking, the Straw Hats entered the restaurant. Zoro wondered what kind of dumbass Marines weren't prepared for an enemy ship to fire back. Idiots…

A waiter with a large build met them at the door. "Hello, you horrid scumbags. My name is Patty, and I'll be seating you." He said it with a practiced voice and a blindingly fake smile, and yet he gave off a tone of sincerity despite himself.

Once they were seated, Fullbody burst into the restaurant with an outraged expression.

"Fucking pirates! You think you can get away with sinking my ship!? I'll show you what your audacity just earned you!"

Luffy looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You attacked us. We returned fire. What did you expect?" he asked.

"I expected you to sink and drown like the useless scum you are!" Fullbody screamed irrationally. Behind him, his date flinched at seeing this new side to him. She hadn't expected him to get into a confrontation with pirates when he promised to take her to a nice restaurant.

"Well, we didn't," Luffy said simply. "Now, piss off. We came here to eat good food and find a chef, not babysit Marines with inferiority complexes."

Fullbody was stomping over to Luffy with a dark, vengeful scowl when a blond-haired chef with spiraled eyebrows burst through the kitchen doors and made his way over to their table. Luffy and Zoro perked up at this, the bored look completely vanishing from Luffy's face. Painful memories flashed through both of their minds as the chef locked eyes with all of his guests. His gaze lingered on Luffy and Zoro for a second, before he turned to Nami, who his gaze _really_ lingered on.

"Welcome to the Baratie," he started formally. "My name is Sanji. What can I get you all?"

"Food!" Luffy yelled excitedly, his mouth watering.

"That much is implied," Sanji replied nonchalantly. "You're going to have to be more specific."

"Meat!" Luffy yelled excitedly, his mouth watering.

"That's better, but I'm still going to need a little more—"

"Sorry about this, waiter," Fullbody said in a low voice. "But I have some business with these pirates. Come back later."

Sanji hummed thoughtfully. "Well first of all, I'm a chef, not a waiter. We're a little short handed at the moment you see. Second, we don't allow fighting between guests in the restaurant. You'll have to take it outside." Fullbody looked like he wanted to protest, but controlled his temper and nodded slowly.

Luffy had other ideas. "No way," he said with a pout. "I can kick his ass later. I came here to eat." Sanji hummed again.

"Well, I guess that settles that," Sanji said matter-of-factly. "You can beat each other senseless once they're done eating." Fullbody's expression turned murderous.

"They're not eating _shit_. As far as I'm concerned they're all going to be starved to death, and I'm not prolonging that by letting them eat something!" He slammed his fist down on their table, fully expecting it to break, but surprisingly, it didn't budge. Luffy had applied an Armament Haki coating to it. He was _not_ waiting longer just because this asshole felt like breaking their table on a whim. He wondered if Sanji would notice, but he flinched at his future chef's dangerous expression once he looked at him. He almost felt bad for Fullbody now…almost.

"I think someone needs a lesson in table manners," Sanji said in a low tone. Within seconds, Fullbody was reduced to a bleeding unconscious heap, not even expecting Sanji's swift barrage of kicks, much less being able to defend against it.

"Hey, Sanji!" a voice called out. They all turned to see the large man who had ushered them in. "What do you think you're doing to our customer, you bastard!? How many times do I have to tell you not to beat the crap out of our customers!?"

"Customer?" Sanji scoffed, still holding the Marine lieutenant up by the neck. "Get your eyes checked, Patty. This guy wasn't even ordering anything. He just barged in here and tried to pick a fight with our other guests."

Patty blinked at this information, and then said, "OK, then. Do whatever you want with him," before walking away. Sanji dropped Fullbody in front of the woman he had entered with, who was scared out of her wits.

"Sorry about ruining your date, Miss," he said with a serene smile. "But honestly, I think you can do much better." As the rest of the Marines scrambled to get Fullbody out of the restaurant so they could call for a retrieval ship, Sanji took the Straw Hat group's orders.

They were interrupted once again, however, as a gunshot pierced the back of one of the Marines, who fell over gasping for breath. A dark-skinned man walked in, sweating profusely and soaking wet as he hobbled over to the nearest table, and sat down. "Bring me some food. Anything will do. This place is a restaurant, right?"

Patty made his way over and clasped his hands together with the same awkward smile on his face. "Hello, you miserable bastard. I apologize, but I must ask. Do you have any money?"

The man, who looked like Death had passed over him clumsily, pointed the gun at Patty's head. "Do you accept lead?"

"So I assume you can't pay," Patty stated before promptly smashing Gin's head to the ground with both arms, along with the table he was sitting at. Gin groaned as his stomach rumbled. This elicited no sympathy from the muscular chef. Sanji watched with a neutral expression as Patty ruthlessly kicked him and then threw him out of the restaurant while the customers cheered him on.

That was when a blond-haired man with a long mustache and a longer hat walked in. "Hey, Patty! What do you think you're doing, destroying tables? That's coming out of your paycheck."

Patty gave him an apologetic smile and nodded. "Sorry about that, Owner Zeff. Won't happen again." A little while later, Sanji strolled out of the restaurant with a plate of food in hand, which didn't escape Zeff's notice. He set the plate in front of the grumbling, dying man.

"Eat up," he said. The man gulped, but looked away from the food.

"That's even worse. I won't accept charity," he said with difficulty.

"It's not charity," Sanji replied evenly. "To me, any hungry person who makes their way to this restaurant is a customer. Pride will get you far in this world, but not if you're dead. Wouldn't you like to live to see another day?"

The man's eyes widened considerably, before he promptly grabbed the plate and dug in greedily. His tear ducts betrayed him, and he started to sob. "I don't know what to say...it's so delicious," he said emotionally in-between bites. "I thought I was gonna die. I really thought I was a goner…"

A wide grin spread out across Sanji's face for the first time since he addressed the woman with Fullbody. This grin was even more profound, though. "It's pretty damn good, right?" Sanji said proudly.

"Looks like I've found my chef," a voice said from above. Both men turned to see one of the restaurant's customers standing outside the upper floor of the restaurant. It was the one who was really passionate about food, Sanji noted. While this naturally elicited a degree of respect from the chef, he didn't know what to make of the boy yet. "Aren't you lucky?" the boy said to Gin. "He saved your life, huh?" Then he addressed Sanji. "Hey, you. I like your style. Join my pirate crew as our chef. My name is Luffy. I'd be your captain."

Sanji looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Huh?" was all he said. This guy was really…straightforward. He had nothing against pirates, but he didn't really want to be one either. "Sorry, but I'll have to refuse," he said. Luffy looked at him stubbornly.

"No!"

"What."

"I refuse your refusal!"

"…What?"

"You're an awesome chef and I like you, so come sail the sea with us," Luffy said as if that was the end of it.

Sanji grew annoyed. "Hey, do you listen at all?"

"Sure," Luffy said. "What's your reason?"

"I don't need to tell you," Sanji said in frustration. "I meant you should accept other people's decisions, you shitty Straw Hat!"

"Oh come ooooon," Luffy wined, letting the 'shitty Straw Hat' comment slide. "Being a pirate is awesome! The open sea is the best place to chase one's dreams. Don't you have a dream you want to fulfill?

Sanji thought on that for a moment. "I do," he admitted. "But I'm not ready to pursue it yet. I still have unfinished business here, and I can't leave until I'm done with it."

"I see…" Luffy said, looking down sadly. "I'll give up then."

"Your hand's not giving up!" Sanji shouted, freaking out as he tried to tug away from Luffy's outstretched arm. "How the hell are you stretching like that!? What kind of human are you?"

"A rubber man," Luffy said in a downcast tone as he let go. "I ate a Devil Fruit." Sanji seemed to accept this easily enough, and the man, having found his strength again, spoke up.

"Sorry to interrupt. My name is Gin. If you're a pirate, may I ask what _your_ dream is?" he said.

"To be the Pirate King," Luffy answered.

"One Piece, huh? You're going to the Grand Line, then." Gin said slowly. He hesitated, and then went on, "Let me give you some advice kid. Give up on the Grand Line. You're still young, there's no need to rush it. There are plenty of other amazing places out there on the open sea."

Luffy frowned. He remembered the story of what happened to Krieg's crew. To put it bluntly, they had had the worst luck. They had run into a very bored Dracule Mihawk on the first week of their journey. The Grand Line was treacherous by East Blue standards. That much was certain. But Mihawk? He wasn't exactly the norm in Paradise.

Luffy knew that Don Krieg didn't have the mindset needed to get through the first half. He wasn't just reckless. He was extremely overconfident and thought himself invincible. This would most likely lead to him pissing off some relatively powerful Grand Line pirate and getting thrashed despite his superior forces. Luffy shuddered to think what would happen if Krieg ever miraculously made it to Sabaody Archipelago. If his God complex was to crash with those of the Celestial Dragons, and Luffy was sure it would, Krieg would come up short.

Luffy honestly thought that Gin had what it took to survive Paradise with a little luck once he got some experience behind him, but he'd never make it through with Krieg leading him. He had pledged his allegiance to a lesser man who covered up his weakness with a suit of armor.

"Thanks for the warning," he said finally. "But my mind is set."

Gin nodded. "Well, it's not my role to stop you. I just thought I'd give you a heads-up." He hopped into the boat that he had salvaged from the sunken Marine ship and untied it. "Thanks again for the meal, Sanji-san. It really was the best I've ever had. Would you mind if I came back sometime?"

Sanji's wide smile returned to his face. "Anytime," he said.

"Hey, Sanji! Get your ass back to work, you little eggplant!" They all turned to see Zeff standing above them. He was eyeing the empty plate in front of Sanji.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you then, Gin," he said meaningfully. Gin looked ashamed.

"Sorry, Sanji-san," he said with his hand in his hair. "You're gonna get in trouble because I didn't pay."

"What are you talking about?" Luffy said with a small smile. He flicked a gold coin at Sanji, who caught it gracefully. "You did pay. Now get on out of here."

Gin nodded gratefully. "Thank you, both of you. I won't forget this." He bowed his head low as his boat sailed away from the floating restaurant.

* * *

It was 15 minutes later when the Straw Hat group received their meal, all digging in to their heart's content. It was then that Sanji made his way over to their table and started hitting on Nami. "But alas," he sighed as his chivalrous drawl ended, "I fear this is quite the tragedy. Such a large obstacle stands in the way of our love." Nami just looked uncomfortable. How could the guy who had casually beaten a Marine lieutenant unconscious be such a flake so soon afterwards?

"I'm guessing that obstacle is me," came the voice of the owner and head chef. Sanji's head perked up at the sound. "Actually, this is perfect," Zeff continued. "Why don't you go along with them and be a pirate? We don't need you here after all."

Sanji's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean you don't need me? I'm the assistant head chef. What are you trying to say exactly?"

"I'm saying you cause trouble with half of the male guests, hit on most of the female ones, and can't even cook a decent meal to save your life. None of the other chefs want you here either, so why don't you just scram?"

"So that's how it is, huh? You shitty old geezer," Sanji growled. "I don't care about that other stuff you said, but I won't stand for people insulting my cooking, even if it's you!" he said angrily as he walked up to the old man. "You can bitch at me all you want, but I'm not leaving!" he shouted.

"Disrespectful little shit!" Zeff roared as he kicked Sanji with his wooden leg, sending him crashing into a table. It occurred to Luffy that everyone in this restaurant seemed to tell other people not to fight or break things before proceeding to do it themselves. "You're a hundred years too young to be standing up to me," Zeff growled, as Sanji wiped the blood off of his forehead. "Like I said, we don't need you here. I don't know why you stay around."

"If that's how you feel, then fire me," Sanji said simply. They stared at each other a while, neither one of them backing down. Finally, Zeff scoffed and turned away, heading back into the kitchen. Sanji got up and quickly recovered as if nothing had happened. He started where he had left off, pouring Nami a glass of wine.

Nami, who had grown used to his antics, smiled widely. "This is all so great," she praised. "But to be honest, it's all a little expensive for my budget," she said sadly. She really was opportunistic. Sanji waved her off, telling her that he wouldn't even think of charging her. Then he turned to the rest of their group.

"You shitheads have to pay," he said bluntly.

"Yeah, we kind of guessed," Zoro said lazily. Usopp didn't take it so well.

"You bastard! This is gender discrimination! I'll sue your ass, you love cook!"

"Yeah, have fun taking this up with the World Government, shitty pirate," Sanji said in an astounding display of logic.

"Oh, you wanna go?" Usopp challenged. "If you start something, you better be ready to finish it!" He pointed at Sanji. "Get him Zoro!"

"All you, Usopp," Zoro replied as he continued eating. Usopp's jaw dropped. That was cold.

"Hey, boys. Please don't fight over me," Nami said with an innocent expression.

"Yes ma'am! It's just so tempting," Sanji replied.

"Who the hell is fighting over you!?" Usopp raged.

Zoro questioned Luffy about the search for their chef. Luffy responded that they should stay there for a while and keep looking, giving Zoro a meaningful look, and Zoro nodded.

It was two days later when a large, rundown ship bearing the mark of the Krieg pirates was sighted making its way towards the sea restaurant.


	8. Killing Time

Disclaimer: My wealth and treasure? If you want it, it's yours. Search for it! I left everything I don't own in One Piece. (In case this one is vague, I don't own One Piece.)

* * *

Chapter VIII: Killing Time

Luffy sat in silence, oblivious to what was happening around him at the moment. He was in deep thought about the conversation he had just had.

* * *

_Johnny and Yosaku had grown restless during their stay, and came down to the restaurant to ask why they were staying so long. Luffy told them to relax and wait a bit longer. They conceded and sat down at a nearby table, getting out their bounty posters and discussing bounty heads that were within their reach to pass the time. Luffy watched as Nami caught sight of one of the posters. Arlong's. Her entire body tensed up, and her breathing became heavier. Luffy looked away as she scanned the area, pretending to do his own thing. When she came to the conclusion that no one was watching, she quietly made her way out of the restaurant and headed towards the Going Merry. Luffy followed after her silently._ _Only Zoro noticed them leave, but he stayed seated._

_When the restaurant doors closed, Nami took one last look behind her to make sure no one was following. Satisfied, she climbed on board the Going Merry…and froze. Luffy was on deck, looking at her with an unreadable expression. When had he…? Nami gritted her teeth and looked down, wondering if she should try to explain her actions. Somehow, she really didn't want to lie to him._

_Luffy saw her discomfort. "It's OK," he said quietly. Nami looked back up at him in surprise._

"_What are you—"_

"_Who is it?" he interrupted. She stared at him, not quite comprehending the question. "The one who's hurt you," he elaborated. She stiffened, her posture becoming guarded. This seemed to sadden him. Not a single thing she was doing escaped his notice. His eyes seemed to bore into her, as if he could see right into hers, piercing through any barriers she put up around herself. At that moment, she was an open book under the scrutiny of a scholar. He had seen right through her from the beginning. She hated it._

_As if sensing her discomfort again, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Luffy...I…" she started but stopped. What could she say? That she couldn't be their crewmate anymore? That she was abandoning them here? Her heart ached at the thought of losing this sense of belonging that she hadn't felt since the day her mother had died._

"_We can help you," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "If you'll just let us." Nami's eyes widened at this, and she shook her head frantically._

_"I can't…" she said, her voice breaking. "I can't get you involved." Luffy looked disappointed at this, but walked up to her slowly. Nami closed her eyes. What did she expect? That he'd just let her steal the ship that they had acquired because she was involved in something she couldn't get out of? Sympathy only extended so far._

_The last thing she expected was for his arms to wrap around her as he pulled her into a tight hug. She opened her eyes in shock. "It's OK," he said again. "You're free to go where you wish. I can't stop you from leaving, just like you can't stop us from following you." He pulled away. "And we _will_ follow you," he stated firmly. He started walking away. "If you're going to leave, I'd do it now. It's going to get crowded out here soon." He turned back to look at her. "And Nami, if even for a second you think that this guy is going to hurt you again, just say the word, and I'll introduce him to a new world of pain." With that point made, he jumped off the side of the ship._

* * *

Luffy was pulled back to the present by fearful screams. He looked around. The customers were backing up in terror as Don Krieg made way through the entrance, being supported by Gin. They were taken aback by the state he was in; he looked as if he was about to keel over, but they were fearful nonetheless. The only ones who weren't visibly cowering were Sanji, Zeff, and the Straw Hats, although Usopp looked pretty shaken.

"Please…" Krieg began, "Could I have some food and water? If you want money…I've got plenty." He spoke humbly, panting in-between words, and had a miserable look on his face. People were starting to realize that this man wasn't a threat, and some were whispering to each other in doubt that this was really Don Krieg. Suddenly, the man toppled over, hitting the floor face first. Gin panicked.

"Please! Give him some food and water! He'll die at this rate!" Patty started laughing hysterically.

"Oh, this is great! Seeing that scumbag in such as miserable state just warms my heart!"

Gin turned toward him angrily. "We have money this time! We're paying customers!"

"Like I care," Patty shrugged. "Hey, contact the Marines," he commanded, pointing to another chef. "This is a good opportunity to get that guy behind bars. Don't even give him a scrap of food." The customers all shouted their agreement.

"Who knows what he'll do if he gains his strength back?" one chef said. "We can't risk giving him anything."

Don Krieg bowed his head low to the ground. "I won't try anything. You have my word. Please…just give me something. I don't care if it's just scraps. Anything…" he groaned. Gin tried to convince him to stop groveling, but he continued. "Anything…" he repeated.

Patty looked like he was having a hard time keeping up his heartless attitude, but stood firm, "Trying to earn sympathy? You won't get any," he said.

"Out of the way, Patty," a new voice said. Patty was suddenly kicked away from the entrance. "Here, Gin. Give him this," Sanji said, holding up a plate of food and a glass of water.

"Sanji-san!" Gin exclaimed, taking the food and handing it to his captain. Krieg started eating immediately. One of the chefs, Carne, started shouting his disapproval, saying there was no way he'd just back off after eating. The customers and the rest of the chefs looked terrified. Sanji had turned his attention to Carne, and Luffy noticed the tensing of Krieg's muscles.

"Hey, Sanji! You might want to pay attention," he called out. Sanji turned back in time to see Krieg swinging his arm out in a lariat, and was able to bring his knee up in front of his neck to block. The blow sent him flying back, but he landed on his feet and regained his balance. Krieg looked slightly annoyed that his surprise attack had failed, and Gin looked horrified.

"Don! This isn't what you promised! You said you'd leave these guys alone if I brought you here!" Gin let out a yell of pain as his shoulder was gripped tightly in Krieg's hand.

"Ah, that's better. I feel like my old self again." He looked toward the chefs, who were watching in terror. "Nice ship. I think I'll take it," he said calmly. They looked at him with incredulous expressions, and he continued, "My old one got ruined. I have 100 men who are dying of hunger and thirst. Prepare food for all of them, and then get off my new ship."

The chefs all shouted at him in response to the outrageous request, saying they refused.

"Refuse?" repeated Krieg. "Don't misunderstand me. This isn't a request. It's an order. And _no one_ disobeys my orders," he said with a menacing glare.

Gin knelt on the ground with a pained look on his face. "I'm sorry, Sanji-san," he said with regret. "I didn't intend for this to happen!"

Sanji ignored him and started walking toward the kitchen. Patty rounded on him. "Hey! Where do you think you're going!? It's your fault we're in this mess!"

"I'm going to prepare food for 100 people," Sanji said simply. Gin looked at him in shock. After all this…he was still feeding them? The other chefs quickly surrounded Sanji on all sides, pointing guns at him threateningly.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Sanji? Krieg's double agent?" one asked.

"You're not taking one step into the kitchen," another said. Sanji just held his arms out in a silent challenge.

"Then shoot me if you want," he said without hesitation. The chefs all stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "I don't care if they're not worth saving. My job as a chef is to feed people. If they come to this restaurant in hunger, I'll give them food. I'll worry about what happens afterwards once they're fed."

The chefs were taken aback by his resolve. All except for Patty, who knocked Sanji to the ground with a blow to the head. "Sanji, I know you feed customers who can't pay," he began, "And I've never had a huge problem with that. But this time, you've gone too far. Your actions are going to cost us this restaurant. I won't let that happen. If you're just going to stand there like an idiot, I'll protect Baratie myself." He pulled the cloth off of the item he was carrying, revealing an odd looking red bazooka. "Hey Krieg, are you finished with your meal? How about some dessert!?" he said as he aimed the bazooka at Krieg and shot. It hit him dead on in the chest, and Krieg was sent hurtling back against the guardrail outside. "That takes care of that," Patty said with finality.

"You might want to double check that," Zoro suggested, and Patty looked at him as if he was insane before a familiar voice made him reconsider.

"That was the worst dessert I've ever had," Don Krieg said as he walked through the ruined entrance. His overcoat and cape had been blown off, and what remained was a gold colored suit of steel armor.

The chefs all got over their shock and charged, intent on taking out the pirate captain who was threatening their way of life. This proved to be a mistake as his battle armor produced a multitude of guns from hidden compartments and started shooting at them. They would have been skewered had it not been for a sudden wind blowing the bullets off course. In front of the chefs stood a single green-haired man with one sword out of three raised, one of their customers. Krieg looked at him in slight surprise. "You're that Pirate Hunter guy," Krieg said in apathy, taking note of his other two swords.

"I was," Zoro replied. Their conversation was interrupted as Zeff calmly walked in front of Zoro and set down a large white bag.

"This is food for 100 men," he said. "Bring it to your crew."

"Owner Zeff!" Patty shouted. "Have you gone crazy!? If his crew recovers as well, they'll take this restaurant for sure!"

Krieg's eyes widened. "Did you say Zeff?"

"That's only if they have the guts to take it," Zeff responded evenly. He turned to Krieg. "Isn't that right, Grand Line dropout?" Mutterings broke out throughout the restaurant. Even the king of East Blue couldn't make it through?

"You're…Red Leg Zeff," Krieg muttered in shock.

"I am," he replied. "Do you have some sort of business with me?"

Krieg smirked. "Actually, yes. You were able to sail the Grand Line and survive. Rumor has it that you kept a logbook of your travels. Hand it over," Krieg demanded.

"I refuse," he replied evenly. "That logbook is the pride of my crew. I won't give to the likes of you."

"Then I'll steal it! I'm not defeated yet," Krieg insisted. "I had the power. I had the forces. I had the ambition. The only thing I lacked going into that sea was information. If I get that logbook, I'll easily be able to conquer the Grand Line!"

"The only thing you need to conquer is your own ego. It'll get you killed one day." All eyes turned to the new voice. It was another customer, the Straw Hat guy.

"What was that, punk? Would you like to say that again?" Krieg growled threateningly.

"I'm not gonna repeat myself just because you're too stupid to understand simple words the first time," Luffy said in a bored tone. The entire restaurant was silent. Did this kid have a death wish?

Rather than get angry, Krieg just smirked. "You're gonna wish you'd kept your mouth shut just now, you little shit. I'm gonna go feed my men. After that, you'll learn exactly why people fear me." He walked out of the restaurant, the bag of food slung over his shoulder. The restaurant immediately dissolved into chaos.

"Owner Zeff! Have you gone mad!? Have could you side with Sanji on this?" Patty asked. The chefs all voiced their agreement, accusing Sanji of leading the restaurant to ruin.

"Silence, you ingrates!" Zeff shouted. "Do any of you even know what it's like to starve? To be cast out on the open sea with no food or water?" He seethed. "The difference between Sanji and you all is that he knows that pain," he said. "If you're not going to do anything but whine, the door's that way," he said, pointing to the back exit.

But the chefs would have none of that. After only a moment's hesitation, they all raised their weapons and resolved themselves to fight. "Are you all crazy?" Gin shouted. "You've seen how powerful Don Krieg is! You all need to run, now!"

"Gin," Sanji said as he lit a cigarette. "It may be my job as a cook to feed those who are hungry, but I'm not responsible for what happens to them afterwards. If someone is going to attack this ship, I'll kill them without a second thought, even if it's you."

They could hear shouts of triumph coming from the galleon outside. That meant that the pirates were back to the land of the living. That wasn't not what caught Luffy's attention, though. "Zoro, we've got company," he said. Zoro, who had sensed it too, was already making his way out the door with a mad grin on his face. Luffy headed out too, motioning for Usopp to follow. He scrambled to his feet, and Johnny and Yosaku followed.

"What's the big idea Luffy?" Usopp asked curiously. "It's dangerous out he—"

He was cut off when a giant wave swayed the entire restaurant. The chefs started going wild until Zeff told them to raise anchor. Everyone looked to the source of the wave, Krieg's giant galleon. It was separated into two halves by a clean line down the middle, as if bisected by a gigantic knife held by the hand of a god from above.

Pirates and chefs alike were freaking out at the sight. Even Don Krieg had lost his composure. Usopp looked around frantically, "Hey, where's Merry!?" he asked suddenly. "Did she sink!?"

"Merry's safe, Usopp. I'll explain later," Luffy responded. His gaze was fixed on the sea, and Usopp followed his gaze and saw what he was staring at. There was a man floating towards them in an eerie looking boat with lit candles on the sides. He was dressed in black and red clothing, and had a huge, black, cross-shaped sword strapped to his back. Luffy and Zoro both gazed at him with focused expressions, although Zoro's gaze suggested that he was downright obsessed over _something_.

"Hey, who is that? Do you guys know him?" Usopp asked. Zoro was the one who answered.

"He's known as Hawk-Eye Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman." Usopp's jaw went slack.

"Mihawk?" he repeated. "The Warlord? What the hell is that guy doing here of all places!?"

The Krieg Pirates voiced the same question, yelling in outrage at the man who had ruined everything for them. "You bastard! What do you want from us!? Why did you follow us here!?"

Mihawk looked up and any other words they had froze in their throats at the sight of his piercing yellow eyes. "To kill time," he said nonchalantly. This seemed to infuriate them even more, and one brave soul pulled out a pistol and shot directly at him. Time seemed to slow down as Mihawk pulled the sword from his back and deflected the bullets with a tilt of his sword.

Zoro silently walked up behind them and passed in front of their shaking forms. "You'll never even hit him like that," he commented. "You should have realized that after he thrashed you all in the Grand Line." Mihawk looked over the new arrival with scrutiny. They say a true swordsman can determine a man's worth without ever clashing blades with him. Mihawk fully believed in that statement.

"One of the 12 Supreme Grade swords, _Yoru_. It's one of the greatest works of craftsmanship in this world of ours," Zoro stated. "I assume you used it to cut that galleon?"

Mihawk nodded slowly. "A swordsman without skill is one without strength," he said.

Zoro unsheathed his own Meito, _Wado Ichimonji_, and raised it. "Indeed," he replied, before bringing it down and cleaving the galleon in half at an angle perpendicular to the first cut. The waves were less profound this time, but that didn't mean the chefs or the Krieg Pirates, or Usopp, appreciated Zoro's actions.

Mihawk stared at the man with a calculating glint in his eyes. Cutting a ship of that size was well outside the level of skill expected of an East Blue dweller, or anyone who lived outside of the Grand Line, really. But there were always outliers. What caught Mihawk's attention was the man's aura. It was pulsating. With excitement, with respect, and with…nostalgia? Mihawk blinked at the unexpected emotion but filed that away for later. He focused on the fact the man's unsuppressed aura was simply too great for someone he had never seen or heard of before. He radiated power. Him as well as…Mihawk's eyes shifted towards an unassuming kid in a straw hat, who was watching the encounter with open interest. The man's aura was not as great...but that was only because he was suppressing it. Heavily.

He assumed that the two were comrades. He estimated that the kid's aura, if he stopped hiding it for whatever reason, was as great, if not greater, than the man before him. He turned back to the swordsman, who after having given him his few moments of contemplation, spoke up, "You said you're killing time right? How about a swordsman's duel then? I'd be honored."

Mihawk continued to stare silently, as he was never one to speak unless he had something good to say. It wasn't carelessness or ignorance that prompted this man to challenge him. He knew what he was up against. So, what was it? Finally, he answered, "What's your name kid?"

"Roronoa Zoro," the man responded.

"Well, Roronoa Zoro, may I ask what your ambition is?"

"To be the world's greatest swordsman," he replied with conviction.

"You ambition is that of a fool," Mihawk stated. "And yet, you do not strike me as one. So I'll ask you. Surely you don't think you can defeat me as you are now?"

Zoro thought for a moment. "Not really," he admitted. "But what kind of ambition would it be if I didn't take a shot?"

It was an impressive answer. Mihawk would be the first to admit it. The man acknowledged the high probability of death and chose to pursue his ambition right here and now rather than wait until he was sure he had a good chance. Was it pride? Perhaps. And yet, Mihawk got the feeling that it ran deeper than that.

"I will grant your request, seeing as you have resolved yourself." He pulled the large sword off of his back again, and stepped out of his boat to face the man. "Whenever you're ready," he said calmly.

* * *

On the way to a certain island, Nami hung over the rail of the Going Merry, watching the seas. "I wonder if they'll really accept me back as a friend next time," she thought aloud as tears streamed freely down her face. "What do you think, Bell-mère?"

* * *

A/N: Ooooohh, my first cliffhanger! Take that. I won't make a habit of this since I'm not _usually_ cruel, but I don't feel that bad honestly since I'm probably going to update within the next two days.


	9. A Fool's Dream

I got some reviews saying they'd rather not see Gin join the crew, so I've decided not to have him join. Thanks for your feedback.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. But then again, material possessions are humanity's great folly. I envision a world where I own One Piece as much as the next guy. Wow, this is fun to envision.

* * *

Chapter IX: A Fool's Dream

Everyone watched in fascination as Zoro leapt forward to cross blades once again with a dashing Mihawk. Shockwaves spread through the air as three katana clashed with the larger sword. Not a single blade budged until they broke off and started over again to gain an advantage. It was an amazing fight, most of the audience could tell, but their appreciation was hampered by the fact that for the life of them, they could not even begin to follow the movements of the two. There was only one exception to this, and his eyes constantly flickered from place to place as the battle unfolded at speeds far faster than untrained eyes could perceive.

Luffy could tell that the terrain, or rather the lack of it, hindered both of them. They were having a grounded battle in the middle of the open sea with only a few footholds. Zeff had ordered the chefs to open the restaurant's fins so that there was more room to fight without destroying the restaurant. The swordsmen seemed like they were itching for some more open space regardless, and Luffy would have worried that they were holding back so as to _not_ destroy the Baratie, but that was one of the things he admired about high level swordsmen. They didn't cut something unless they wanted to. They controlled their slashes with a grace that one would not expect, only cutting what they intended to cut, and this didn't even require a conscious effort.

When Mihawk had cut a city-sized iceberg in half at Marineford, Luffy thought he had simply missed him and that the iceberg had been collateral damage. But while training with Rayleigh in the use of Observation Haki, Luffy realized how stupid that assumption had been. Mihawk had been motivating him. He knew Luffy would dodge, just like he knew that Zoro would survive his slash after their fight in that timeline. He wanted to show them just how far they needed to go if they wanted to even stand a chance in the real world. Dracule Mihawk does not simply cut an iceberg in half unintentionally.

Over the years, Luffy had developed a large amount of respect for the man. He hadn't just inadvertently helped them every now and then, but he had directly trained Zoro in the way of the sword once Zoro had swallowed his pride for the sake of his crew, and later, he had stood with Shanks against the Blackbeard Pirates, flipping off the World Government in the process. Luffy knew his appreciation of Mihawk's actions didn't compare to Zoro's respect for him, but he respected him nonetheless. That, coupled with the fact that it was his first mate's dream to surpass him, made this a very interesting fight for Luffy.

But Zoro couldn't win, he thought with a frown. He had lost too much power reverting back to his younger body. His speed, strength, endurance, and stamina were all crippled, and even the proficiency of his Armament Haki was halved. It was the same case with Luffy. The only thing that had been left un-handicapped was their Observation Haki, as the ability was pure mental discipline. Luffy continued to watch eagerly as Zoro's breathing became slightly labored.

"_**Three Sword Style,**_" Zoro muttered as he leapt towards Mihawk. "_**Purgatory Demon Slash!**_" Mihawk intercepted the attack mid-swing, stopping all three blades. Undeterred, Zoro pushed him back with brute force, and Mihawk was forced to leap high into the air, setting him up for Zoro's next assault. "**_Three Sword Style_**," he said as he leapt into the air after Mihawk. "_**Dragon Twister!**_" The blades were once again forced to a stop by Mihawk, who spun around, creating a small whirlwind with his blade that forcefully separated the two.

Luffy wondered if Zoro should try Lion's Death Song, but dismissed the thought. The attack's movement was predictable and was best used against slow opponents who were extremely durable and difficult to cut. Mihawk was by no means slow, and Zoro wouldn't be able to cut through his Haki-enhanced Meito anyway. He knew instinctively that a move like that would just give Mihawk first blood.

Zoro was panting a little more heavily now and decided to attack from a distance now that he had some space. "_**Three Sword Style: 1080 Caliber Phoenix!**_" The projectile was launched at Mihawk, who almost looked surprised. This flying slash was…unconventional. It was more of a wind cannon than a wind blade. Mihawk deflected the technique away, putting his full body into the arc of his weapon. The audience watched with awestruck expressions, as this was the first part of the fight they could actually see, as the wind cannon shot out over the sea, leaving a large ripple trail above the water, and disappeared over the horizon.

"What kind of fight is this?" someone asked. Luffy recognized the voice as Sanji's. Krieg was watching the fight in distress, Johnny and Yosaku were cheering on Zoro, Usopp was trembling in fear as well as excitement (but mostly fear), Zeff was wondering why Pirate Hunter Zoro, if he had this much power to match his ambition, was still in East Blue to begin with, Gin was treasonously wondering if Krieg could really go the distance against opponents like these, and everyone else was just hoping that they didn't get caught up in the fight.

Mihawk raised his sword as Zoro continued to pant, and brought it down swiftly. Zoro had no choice but to leap out of the way, and Mihawk's enormous wind blade seemed to stretch on for miles as it too went past the horizon before fading back into harmless air. Zoro immediately recovered, but it was clear that his body couldn't keep up with this fight much longer. He wasn't going under without making waves, though. He raised his blades, and Mihawk's eyes slightly widened as his arms, legs, and head seemed to multiply by three, bearing a striking resemblance to a certain deity. All nine swords then blackened to resemble the color of Mihawk's own blade.

"_**Demon Aura Nine Sword Style: Asura,**_" Zoro said through pants. Mihawk calmly waited for what was coming. Whatever it was, he would observe closely and parry it. Zoro leapt forward one last time, and Mihawk met him halfway in one last dash. "_**Nine Demon Flashes!**_" Zoro yelled as nine blades met one. Shockwaves rocked the Baratie and the surrounding sea. Zoro roared in effort, and Mihawk gritted his teeth as a single bead of sweat slid down his face. _I'm not going down without even putting a scratch on you, not this time! _Zoro thought with unyielding determination. Finally, their swords seemed to pass through each other, and they both slid to a stop, back-to-back, mere meters from one another. A few seconds passed as everyone's breath caught in their throats, except for Luffy, who looked on grimly.

Six of Zoro's blades shattered, and the illusion dissolved before blood flooded out of the wound on his side and he fell to one knee. Mihawk continued to stare in the opposite direction, his back still to Zoro, as if contemplating something. Then they both turned around to meet each other's eyes, and in the process, Mihawk revealed a shallow gash spreading across his cheekbone.

"Well met, Roronoa Zoro."

There was silence as Zoro stood up. They both faced each other as Zoro sheathed his Meito, which had survived the clash. "I've lost," he acknowledged. He then held up his arms on both sides, giving Mihawk an opening. Mihawk was taken aback.

"What?"

"Wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame," Zoro recited as if it was second nature.

"Well said!" Mihawk agreed before slashing at Zoro's exposed torso. Blood splattered from the new wound and Zoro fell back. Luffy had been expecting it, and winced all the same.

"_Aniki!_" Johnny and Yosaku screamed.

"_Zoro_!" Usopp yelled out worriedly.

"That fool," Sanji muttered under his breath, which didn't escape Zeff's notice.

Mihawk's sword was now pointed at Zoro, who was on the ground bleeding. He was deep in thought. This man had resolved himself to die. Would it be disrespectful to let him live? _Not just disrespectful_, he thought. _Stupid. He has so much potential for someone just starting his journey. I don't doubt that he may very well take my title and possibly my life one day. _Oddly enough, Mihawk felt less inclined to kill this man than he would have been had the man not been a threat at all. Why was that, exactly? He would have to think on it later. He placed his sword back on his back just as Luffy arrived, with Johnny and Yosaku scrambling after him.

Suddenly, Zoro gasped, regaining consciousness momentarily. He looked at Luffy, who silently stared back, and then at Mihawk's sheathed blade. While Luffy and Mihawk could see that it troubled him slightly, he didn't protest. Luffy understood. He was torn between his pride as a swordsman and his loyalty to the crew. But after everything that had happened, he guessed it was an easy decision for him. "Sorry, Captain," he said finally. "I'll get him next time."

Luffy flashed him a confident grin. "I know you will," he replied, as Johnny and Yosaku rushed to tend to his wounds. Mihawk smirked at their camaraderie. "It is too early for you to die, Roronoa Zoro. Train until the day we meet again, and strive to surpass me." Zoro nodded wordlessly, and Mihawk turned to Luffy. "What is your goal, kid?"

"Pirate King," Luffy said without hesitation. Mihawk grinned enthusiastically. "Your crew is truly one full of fools," he said. "The greatest men I've ever met are all fools in their own right. Perhaps it's a common trend no matter what the era."

They were suddenly interrupted by none other than Don Krieg. "If you shitbags are done ignoring me, I have some business with both of you!" He turned towards Mihawk. "I still owe you for destroying my fleet. Payback is going to be painful!" he roared. His subordinates were pleading for him to stop, and even Gin secretly thought he was insane, but he ignored them all and aimed his guns at Mihawk.

"Then again, some fools are just fools," Mihawk stated. He swung his sword in a circular motion, and a whirlwind came to life around him. When it died down, he was gone. Luffy noted that the boat he had come in had disappeared as well. _Cool. How did he do that?_

Krieg looked stunned, but immediately recovered and rounded on Luffy. "I guess I'll have to settle for you, Straw Ha—"

"Read the mood, asshole!" Luffy yelled as a tic developed over his eye. He sent Krieg flying with a kick, suit of armor and all, and the man landed in the sea with a splash. His subordinates watched in horror before he resurfaced.

"Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku," Luffy addressed the three with authority. "Nami has taken the Going Merry to a place called Cocoyasi Village. Do you know where that is?"

The bounty hunter duo both widened their eyes and nodded. "That's Arlong's turf," Yosaku commented.

Luffy nodded. "I want you to follow her there and wait for me. She has something she needs to do there, but I think she's going to need our help." They really wanted to protest going anywhere near Arlong Park, but if Nami was there and needed their help, they could hardly argue. They prepared a ship and, along with Usopp, set sail. Meanwhile, the Krieg Pirates were gathering their wits and finally taking action. Pirates clashed with chefs in a determined struggled, and Patty and Carne seemed to be swaying the outcome until Gin stepped in and knocked out Carne with a blow to the head. Patty stilled. "You!"

"Well look, isn't this just perfect," Gin said smugly. "You really don't hold back against starving men. I wonder how this will go a second time."

"Bastard!" Patty shouted before striking out with both fists. Gin easily dodged and his hand fell around Patty's skull. He tightened his grip as Patty struggled to escape from it, groaning in pain. Finally Gin let go, and Patty slumped to the ground, blood oozing from his skull. A tall man in a strange piece of armor consisting of one plate on each side strolled up to them.

"I see you haven't softened in the time you've been away, Gin," he said. He kicked Patty over onto his back and spotted a cooking knife on his hip. "Oh, nice knife," he said. He tried to take it, but Patty grabbed his hand. He started stomping on Patty's hand but he wouldn't let go, and suddenly a powerful kick met his skull, alarming him.

"A chef's kitchen knives are his pride," Sanji said nonchalantly. "I won't let you defile them with your filthy hands." The man, who his subordinates identified as Pearl, started freaking out at being harmed and screaming danger. Sanji was about kick him again when a large whip like limb smacked Pearl in the head, knocking him out and toppling him over in that order.

"Shut up, already," Luffy said unenthusiastically. The Krieg pirates panicked at the sight of Pearl being defeated so easily, and of Luffy's leg stretching out, before Krieg speculated out loud that he must have eaten a Devil Fruit.

"Why couldn't you just leave, Sanji-san?" Gin said with regret, and all eyes turned to him. "All of this could have been avoided if you just gave up the damn ship!"

"I already told you, that's not gonna happen," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. His voice hardened. "This restaurant is that shitty old man's pride and joy. I've already taken too much from him. I won't let him lose this, too."

Gin still looked regretful as he stared back at Sanji, but his gaze hardened. "Suit yourself then," he said as he lunged at Sanji, spinning around two tonfa with what looked like cannonballs on the tips. Sanji dodged the first downward swing, which left a large hole in the wood when it impacted. He aimed a kick at Gin's neck, but it was blocked by one of the tonfa. He spun around and threw another one, which was blocked by the second tonfa. Forcing Gin on the defensive, he planted his hand onto the ground and brought his leg up. Gin failed to raise the heavy weapons to that height in time and Sanji's kick impacted with his head.

Without sustaining injuries from Pearl, Sanji was faster and could hit harder. This went on for a while, with Sanji getting in a couple hits as Gin tried to defend. Finally, he spun a tonfa around and allowed one of Sanji's kicks to hit his side without retaliating, and then thrust the tonfa into Sanji's ribs. Both men fell back, coughing up blood, but Sanji recovered faster, sweeping Gin's leg with his foot to hinder his mobility. Gin stumbled, but still lashed out with his tonfa, which Sanji dodged. They then clashed again, Sanji's kick meeting Gin's weapon. Waves of pain ran down Gin's arm, but the stress on Sanji's leg was worse, and Gin recovered first this time, nailing Sanji in the ribs again. Sanji stumbled back and Gin tried to push his advantage, only to be stopped by his injured leg. Sanji noticed and decided to risk it.

"_**Collier Shoot!**_" he yelled. The kick made contact with Gin's neck and snapped his collarbone. Gin choked and fell over backwards onto the ground, and Sanji nailed him on the head with his heel, ending the fight. He panted heavily and straightened. The pirates backed away from him in fear, not believing that Gin had been defeated.

Don Krieg grimaced. "That Gin is a disgrace. He's done the one thing he wasn't allowed to do. He's failed me!"

"You speak as if you're going to fare any better," Luffy said mockingly. Krieg growled, and the surrounding pirates started jeering at Luffy.

"You stupid punk! Gin may have lost but Don Krieg is the strongest! The Don Krieg pirates are the best in East Blue!"

Luffy shrugged lazily. "If by that you mean that they have the best numbers, then OK." The pirates fumed at his words, but Krieg kept a calm countenance.

"You hit me once boy. Consider yourself lucky. It won't happen again." Luffy raised both eyebrows sky high, then leapt towards Krieg. Before he could pull out his spiked cape as he had planned, or even react, Luffy sank his fist into his gut, denting the steel armor considerably. Krieg fell to the ground gasping for breath. The armor had caved in and was crushing his torso, cutting off the air that was trying to flow into his lungs. He tried to suck in air, but to no avail, and only gained a wheezing fit for his efforts. Finally, he groaned out.

"Take it off. Please…" he managed. Luffy was disgusted.

"That's the great Don Krieg for you," he said with a chuckle. "Glorifying himself one moment, and then groveling at someone's feet the next." He waved his leg in a swift Rankyaku, which cut Krieg's armor in two. The man gasped for breath, letting sweet air fill his lungs, and then glared up at Luffy in fury.

"I don't suppose you'll leave in shame knowing that you received help from your enemy?" Luffy asked.

Krieg responded by lunging at Luffy in a reckless rush. Luffy met him with a backhand to the head, feeling the crack of bones in Krieg's face. Krieg fell onto his side, defeated.

Gin had woken up and watched in shock from where he lay. The Don had been defeated. The impossible had just happened. A small part of his mind that was gradually expanding criticized his naïveté and chastised him for ever believing that his captain was unbeatable in the first place. Why had he ever believed that when there was an abundance of evidence to prove otherwise? Because he wanted to believe it? Because he _had_ to believe it?

The Krieg pirates had slumped in defeat from the moment their captain was knocked out as the chefs all roared in victory. Gin groaned as he got up unsteadily, Sanji watching his every move. He walked over to where Krieg lay and stared down at him. "This is our…loss," he said quietly. He picked up Krieg and slung him over his shoulder. "Men, let's get out of here," he said tiredly. "Thanks for everything, Sanji-san."

"Sure," Sanji said with a wave. "Don't ever come back, you shitty asshole." He turned to Patty and Carne, who had both recovered. "Get him a boat," he ordered. They protested loudly before Sanji yelled at them. They then told him not to order them around so much before fetching the boat obediently.

Gin turned to Luffy one last time. "Kid, I'll see you in the Grand Line." Luffy nodded happily.

"I look forward to it!"

After the Krieg Pirates left, Luffy turned back to Sanji. "Well, I'm heading out soon. Feel like coming with me yet?"

"You speak as if I'll change my mind at some point," Sanji pointed out.

Luffy shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

Sanji hesitated a moment, then turned to him with a wide grin on his face. "Hey, have you ever heard of All Blue?" he asked excitedly. Luffy didn't really want to lie and so he responded that he had. Sanji went on to explain the legend of the chef's paradise anyway, and Luffy listened intently, nodding the whole time.

That was when Zeff walked up to him and nodded his thanks to Luffy, who just smiled back. "Actually Sanji, this is perfect. You almost just got my restaurant destroyed. Why don't you go along with Straw Hat here so I never have to see your face again?" Zeff asked in lazily.

"Keep dreaming old man," Sanji said stubbornly. They stared each other down for a full minute before Zeff finally sighed. _To hell with this_.

"Sanji, your cooking and pride as a chef are renowned by everyone that calls this restaurant their home, including myself. Not a single day has gone by when I have regretted my decision all those years ago. You have made me proud to call you my assistant head chef, and I want to see you fulfill the dream that I never could. Now get lost, you shitty little eggplant."

Sanji had stiffened in shock at the words he was hearing, and even Luffy's eyes widened. As if a dam had broken, tears welled up in Sanji's eyes as he fell to his hands and knees. "Zeff!" he shouted as he cried hysterically. "For all you've done for me over the years, I know I owe you a hell of a lot, and I'm going to spend every day from here on out continuing to make you proud!" This was too much for the other chefs, especially Patty and Carne, who all broke down crying as well.

Sanji stood up, and Luffy burst out laughing. "Man, that was great! I'll never forget that. So, what do you think? Wanna come along now?"

"Shut up, you rubber bastard!" Sanji yelled halfheartedly as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Let's go already!"

"You and I both have foolish dreams, Sanji. I can't wait to see how this plays out," Luffy said mirthfully. As they got yet another boat ready, the cooks shouted out their goodbyes to Sanji.

"You son of a bitch!" Patty yelled in between hiccups.

"We're gonna miss you!" Carne yelled in between sobs.

"I'll see you around, you shitty bastards!" Sanji shouted. Zeff couldn't help himself, and his eyes teared up as well as their small boat sailed out to sea.

* * *

A/N: And there goes the Baratie arc. Tell me what you thought of Zoro and Mihawk's fight as well as Sanji's departure. Lost out.


	10. To Hammer it Home

If you asked me which East Blue arc was my favorite, I'd say it was a tossup between Baratie and Arlong Park, with Arlong Park pulling slightly ahead. But if you asked me which felt better to rewrite for the purpose of this story, Baratie would honestly win by a landslide. Writing Baratie felt awesome for obvious reasons, and I almost shat myself several times in the process of writing it as the ideas came to me (no pants were harmed in the making of chapter 9). Ok, that's hyperbole, but you get my point. Writing Zoro vs. Mihawk was a lot of fun for me, and the moment between Sanji and Zeff was a really good bonus.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, and I thoroughly enjoy the privilege of reminding myself of this fact every time I sit down to write a chapter. *sniff* Shut up. I'm not crying.

* * *

Chapter X: To Hammer it Home

"So, Captain, mind telling me where we're going?" Sanji asked when it started to seem like they were wandering.

"We're heading to a place called Cocoyasi Village. It's Nami's hometown," he replied. Sanji's face lit up at the mention of the orange-haired girl, but Luffy's voice turned serious and he found himself straightening.

"Her hometown was taken over by the Arlong Pirates 8 years ago," he continued. "They're an all fishman pirate crew whose strength is said to be unrivalled in East Blue."

Sanji pondered this for a moment. "Wasn't the same supposedly true of the Krieg Pirates?"

Luffy smiled grimly. "These guys would kick their collective asses any day of the week. But you're right not to believe everything you hear." Luffy paused. "Sanji, I told you they were an all fishman pirate crew, but there is one exception. Nami is involved with them."

Sanji's eyes widened and he was about to question this when Luffy continued, "Her motives are complicated. But let's think about it for a moment. The same pirates that she's supposedly involved with are holding her hometown hostage. Can you think of anything?"

No one ever accused Sanji of being slow on the uptake. "So the question is, what do they want from her? And whatever it is, why has it taken 8 years to resolve?" he said slowly.

Luffy nodded. "The only way to find out is to go there. The only problem being…" Sanji looked at him curiously as he trailed off, before looking up to the sky. "I have absolutely no idea how to navigate us there."

Sanji lit a cigarette slowly, and after blowing out the smoke, he spoke. "The fuck is wrong with you?" he asked with a blank face. Luffy turned to him.

"Well, I'm just lucky I have you right now," he said. He pulled out a map from his pocket. "The island is to the northwest of Baratie. Do you think you can figure it out?" Sanji nodded.

"I'm a chef of the sea. It's a must to have fundamental navigational skills," he said as he looked towards the setting sun. Luffy wasn't all that surprised. He knew Sanji had been born in North Blue, and had made his way to the East at some point. They had recruited him shortly before going to the Grand Line, where fundamental navigational skills would get you nowhere. So it was no surprise that he had never gotten a chance to show his knowledge in the area.

"I'm counting on you, then," he said. "And so is Nami, even if she doesn't know it yet."

* * *

"There it is! The Going Merry," Yosaku said, handing the binoculars to Usopp. Usopp looked through them and he saw the problem.

"It's surrounded by fishmen," he said with a hint of fear in his voice. Zoro had already explained about the fishmen after he had somewhat recovered on the way there, as well as his theories as to why Nami was involved with Arlong. The subject was still shrouded in mystery, but they were determined to ask Nami themselves.

"This is bad," Johnny said. "How are we going to dock the ship? The coast is being heavily guarded by those fishmen."

"It's fine," Zoro said. "I'll cut them. Let's go." The three other occupants of the ship immediately protested.

"Are you kidding!?" Usopp asked frantically. "Those are fishmen! You said it yourself, each of them is 10 times stronger than the average human!"

"He's right, aniki! You're wounds still haven't healed. What do you plan on doing?" Johnny asked.

"Like I said, I'll just cut them," Zoro repeated. He started to bring them closer to the coast. Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku all took one look at each other before nodding. Suddenly, they produced 3 hammers seemingly out of nowhere, and each whacked Zoro upside the head.

Zoro's head sagged from the impact. He stood there for a moment with his head facing the deck and shadows covering his eyes. Rather than falling over, he turned towards them, and the frightening look on his face sent chills through their flesh and into their very blood. Suddenly remembering how he had been captured in his own timeline, he spoke.

"You guys sure are gutsy today," he said in a low, eerie voice.

* * *

"The hell is that?" Sanji asked nonchalantly, staring up at the strange sea king. "A cow?" He turned to Luffy, who seemed to have stars in his eyes. No really, his eyes had turned into what looked like stars. Sanji rubbed his own eyes before looking back and seeing Luffy's focused expression. He decided he was just a little tired. Luffy called out to the cow.

"Hey, cowfish! We need to get to Arlong Park. Give us a ride!" he commanded. Sanji was really starting to wonder what kind of dipshit of a captain he had decided to follow, when suddenly the cow leaned forward, offering his head to Luffy, who patted him with a chuckle. Luffy then tied a rope around his horns, and the cow pulled them forward at a greater speed than they had been going, seemingly knowing which way to go.

_I'm not gonna ask. I'm not gonna ask. I'm not gonna ask. I'm not gonna…shit, I'm gonna ask, aren't I?_

"What the hell is happening!?" Sanji shouted at the top of his lungs, causing Luffy to burst out in hysterical laughter.

* * *

Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku screamed in terror as they ran for their lives from a very vindictive Zoro, with Usopp in the lead. Several fishmen had stopped and taken notice, but were either too shocked to act or too slow to keep up. Eventually the fishmen that were chasing them lost sight of them, panting heavily and wondering who the hell they were. Whatever, they'd have to report this to Arlong.

Usopp and the bounty hunter duo eventually caught sight of a blue-haired woman, who yelled for them to stop. Panting heavily, they did. Zoro wouldn't kick their asses too hard…hopefully. The woman asked who they were and what on earth they thought they were doing, but was cut off when a fishman showed up and caught sight of them. Usopp screamed but got his slingshot out and stood in front of the bounty hunter duo. "Run, you guys! The brave and honorable Usopp will hold him off!" he said as his legs trembled.

"Stop!" the woman yelled. "You can't harm the fishmen, no matter what!"

That was when Zoro caught up to them. He grinned ferally at his three prey, and walked up to them slowly.

"Zo-Zo-Zoro wait!" Usopp stuttered. "Fishman!" Surprisingly, this caught Zoro's attention. He turned to the fishman and his gaze turned focused as he remembered why they were here.

"Stand back," he said, putting one hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'll cut him."

"I _said_, don't fight the fishmen!" the blue-haired woman yelled as she whacked Zoro over the head with a hammer. His head was tilted forward for a long while as he stood there, motionless. Eventually, he turned back toward all four of them, and Nojiko felt a chill creep down her spine at the sight of that insane look she was faced with. Usopp and the bounty hunter duo had frozen in place, wondering what they were in for.

"You're all being pretty gutsy today with your fuckin' hammers," he said in a low voice. "Do I look like a mole do you people? Huuh!?"

"Hey, you damn humans! Stop ignoring me and identify yourselves! This is Arlong Park, where fishmen reign supreme, so if you don't want to be taken to Arlong, I suggest you—"

"Beat it, you fish-faced fucker!" Zoro yelled as he spun around and backfisted the fishman in the jaw, sending him crashing into a house to their left.

There was silence as Nojiko wondered who the hell this guy was. Johnny and Yosaku started clapping slowly, before Zoro glared at them and they stopped. "If you're all done pulling hammers out of your asses, we can go find Nami now," he said in irritation.

"Nami?" Nojiko asked in confusion. "What business do you have with her?" Zoro looked at her.

"She's our navigator," he said simply. This only confused Nojiko more before she remembered that Nami had a tendency to infiltrate pirate crews and earn their trust before robbing them penniless.

"If that's the case, then I fear you all have been tricked. I suggest you give up on Nami being in your crew any longer," she replied. Zoro looked at her with a piercing gaze and, never one to shit around, got right to the point.

"Arlong Park falls today," he said before walking away, leaving Nojiko speechless. All she wanted to do was scream at the guy, ask him who the hell he thought he was, and hit him in the head with a hammer a few more times. Was he trying to make every sacrifice they had made for the last 10 years be in vain? She gritted her teeth. His three friends looked back at her for a moment before falling into step behind him silently. She cursed under her breath and followed after them.

* * *

Genzo grunted as Arlong lifted him off the ground by the scruff of the neck. "Possession of weapons is a clear sign of rebellious intent," Arlong said with a toothy grin. "I can't just let this slide, now, can I? I'll just have to kill you as an example of what happens to rebels."

"Stop this, Arlong! We won't stand by and let you do this!" a civilian shouted. Shouts of agreement broke out through the crowd of citizens from Cocoyasi Village. Genzo silenced them, however, saying that if they rebelled now, everything would have been in vain. They struggled to accept this, realizing that his intention was to martyr himself now. Arlong laughed at their indecisiveness before bringing Genzo up above his head and preparing to slam him head first into the concrete in order to end his life. Shouts echoed throughout the plaza, and Genzo closed his eyes.

"_**Certain Death! Exploding Star!**_!" A concussive force stopped Arlong mid swing, and Genzo slipped from his grip, relatively unharmed. Everyone looked in shock at the new arrival. The kid trembled as he stood on the roof of a small house, holding up a green slingshot. Suddenly, a green-haired, sword-wielding man walked into the plaza, flanked by two other men who also carried swords. The villagers' eyes widened. What was this? A goddamn revolutionary army? They were going to ruin everything!

"Gen-san!" a new voice yelled. They all turned to see Nojiko running over to Genzo with concern written all over her face. She had come with these strangers. Who were they, exactly?

"Sorry, Luffy, I know you probably wanted this one to yourself," Zoro spoke in a low voice as he walked into the middle of the plaza and stopped in front of Arlong. "But I'm ending this. Now." Arlong roared in anger at the sheer audacity.

"You dare attack me, you pathetic humans!? Even though your entire race is inferior, you dare to challenge me!?" Arlong stomped over to him angrily.

All Zoro thought of was the memory of Nami's desperation, an emotion that he never wanted to see on a single comrade's face ever again, as he raised his sword.

He never completed his swing. A large object shot down in front of him, impacting with the ground and leaving a large crater. He recognized said object immediately. In his anger, he hadn't sensed him before. "Luffy! What are you—?"

He never completed his sentence, either. Luffy grabbed him by his arm and jumped before beginning his Geppo, grabbing Johnny, Yosaku, and Usopp on the way, and flew right out of the village at speeds that would have made his spectators stare in shock if they weren't doing so already.

A few moments passed, as Arlong stood motionless in the center of the plaza. One of his henchmen finally gathered up the courage to speak with him. "Arlong-san, are you—"

"Find those humans," he said simply. "All of them. I want to rip their flesh open myself." He walked right out of the village, all thoughts of petty rebels and examples forgotten.

* * *

Nami was waiting impatiently in front of the water at Arlong Park when Kuroobi finally showed up. "It's about time," she said in an annoyed tone. "What's going on here? Where is Arlong?"

Kuroobi studied her for a moment, and then responded. "Arlong is on a hunt right now. A few humans managed to upset him, and he's determined to find them." Nami stiffened. Who had been stupid enough to challenge him after all this time…?

"Who was it?" she asked quietly.

"A kid with a straw hat, another with a long nose, and a green-haired man that we believe to be Pirate Hunter Zoro."

Nami felt her heart contract in fear. They were here? How? How could they have followed her? She had gotten out before anyone would be able to know where she was going. _We _will_ follow you._ The words echoed in her mind and she felt like puking. _Those idiots_.

Kuroobi studied her reaction carefully. She hid it well, but she was clearly uncomfortable. He concluded that she knew these people. Had they just been more of her victims? Or was something else going on here? His eyes narrowed in thought. Suddenly there was a ripple in the water, and Arlong shot out of the sea and landed next to Nami. Kuroobi turned to him.

"Any luck?" he asked gently. Arlong shook his head, seething. Whoever these guys were, they had managed to get away quickly. Kuroobi came closer and started whispering in his ear, and his eyes narrowed.

"Nami," he said. She turned to him. "Just so you know, we're looking for three humans. One with a straw hat, one with a long nose, and one with green hair and three swords strapped to his hip. He watched as her posture showed obvious signs of stress.

"Yeah, Kuroobi told me," she said, more weakly than she would have liked.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us Nami?" he asked. Nami turned to him again and scoffed.

"They're just pirates that I stole from. I'm upset that they managed to follow me here," Nami replied.

"Yes, that is pretty surprising," Kuroobi said. "Of course, an easy explanation for that is that you led them here." Nami glared at him.

"You think that after all this time I'd try something? When I'm so close?" she asked.

Kuroobi's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Arlong just laughed. "You're right. Sorry I doubted you. Nevertheless, I'll have to find these pieces of trash and put them out of their misery soon." He turned and walked away, and Kuroobi looked at Nami one more time before following.

* * *

Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku were currently hiding out in a ghost town where all the houses were either destroyed or flipped over onto their sides.

"That was terrifying," Johnny said after a while. "I thought we were gonna die." Yosaku nodded his agreement. Usopp was surprisingly silent. Sanji was smoking a cigarette, deep in thought. Once they had arrived, Luffy had told him to stay put and then shot off running through the sky as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He had come back with everyone accounted for...except for Nami. Sanji turned to Luffy.

"So what's our next move, Captain?" he asked. He knew this was a delicate situation. They couldn't act rashly, but he wanted to know what they bastards were doing to Nami to make her stay with their crew.

Luffy thought about the question carefully. Should he explain everything now?

"Luffy, can I talk to you privately for a minute?" Luffy turned to Zoro and sighed before nodding. He knew this was coming. He told everyone to stay put and they walked out of earshot. Zoro made sure no one else was in the area before speaking. "What the fuck are you doing?" he growled.

Luffy raised an eyebrow at him, but Zoro continued, undeterred. "Don't give me that look," he said. "I had him. He was right there in front of me. I could have ended this. You stopped me. Explain, now." Luffy met his eyes evenly, not showing any signs of regret. Zoro knew this wasn't a simple matter of, 'Arlong's mine, take care of the squid guy.' Luffy wouldn't prolong Nami's suffering for a stupid reason like that. But there had to be a reason.

"What do you think would happen if you took down Arlong right now?" Luffy asked. Zoro gave him a confused look.

"What could possibly go wrong if we took him down?" he asked in curiosity.

"Simple. We'd be going against Nami's wishes. Her plan right now is to fulfill her promise with Arlong and buy back her village from him. But you already know that," Luffy said. Zoro grew frustrated.

"Yeah, a promise that he's going to break! You know this as well as I do, Luffy. He bullshitted his way out of their arrangement! Are you going to make Nami go through that again?"

"Do I have a choice? Nami is convinced that he'll uphold his end of the deal."

"All the more reason why we should take out Arlong now," Zoro concluded, calming down. He couldn't see where Luffy was going with this.

"And then what?" Luffy asked, scanning the area to make sure no one was listening again. "Will Nami be satisfied with that? Right now, she doesn't want us to get involved," he said. Zoro blinked, starting to understand what he was getting at. "The only reason Nami asked for our help last time was that the villagers were rushing to their deaths. She was desperate. Right now, she has a plan. It doesn't matter how strong we are. It doesn't matter if we can beat Arlong. It doesn't matter if we know what will happen. If we take him out now, in Nami's mind, we'll just be endangering the lives of her loved ones for the sake of our own vengeance. She'll never forgive us for that."

Zoro was silent for a long while. He knew Luffy was right. He hadn't been thinking ahead.

"It hurts to watch," he said finally.

"I know it does," Luffy replied. "But we have to endure it. If we falter, who can they rely on?" Luffy asked, paraphrasing the words that Zoro had told him so long ago. He turned and walked away. Zoro was lost in contemplation for a moment before he followed behind him.

* * *

A/N: So can you guys guess what that quote at the end is from? The original line is, "Don't hesitate. If you falter, who can we rely on?" Go on, guess!


	11. Pain

Couple of you guessed it. The quote was from after Luffy's fight with Usopp in Water 7, and Zoro was telling him that he couldn't hesitate as captain, even if it was a heavy duty. That was definitely a very memorable quote.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. However, sometimes I think if I just believe that I own One Piece, I'd own One Piece. How do you think Zoro was able to cut steel for the first time? It wasn't from not believing he could do it. Still, it's hard to make myself believe that I own One Piece. I've considered head trauma, but wisely decided against it.

* * *

Chapter XI: Pain

When they arrived back in the ruined town, the sight of Nojiko talking with the other two Straw Hats and the bounty hunter duo greeted them. She noticed them and spoke up, "Hello. I was just about to talk to your friends here. There are a few things you should know about my sister Nami. Would you like to sit down and listen?"

Luffy nodded. He hadn't listened to Nami's past the first time on the grounds that he didn't need to know her past in order to help her, as he could see her suffering either way. But now, he wanted to know the full story. "How did you find us?" he asked.

"Due to its destroyed state, Gosa Village is the only place on the island that Arlong doesn't keep tabs on. So, if I were to give you any credit, this is where you'd be." Luffy nodded; it made sense. So they listened to the story of Nami's childhood, of a person named Bell-mère, and of the arrival of the Arlong Pirates 8 years ago. Through it all, the only person who kept a straight face was Zoro. By the end, Johnny and Yosaku were looking down in shame, Usopp was trembling in anger, and Sanji was screaming bloody murder. He was intent on challenging the Arlong Pirates right then and there, only to be hit over the head by Nojiko.

"You're all missing the point. I came here to tell you that what you've been doing could mean the death of our village. Nami is so close. She's worked so hard these past 8 years, and she's suffered alone. Can you imagine the pain that a 10-year-old girl must have endured to come to that decision?" Everyone was silent at this. "If you do anything to anger Arlong on the grounds that you are helping Nami, everything will be ruined. I'd imagine he's already suspicious of her. So I came to tell you not to do anything stupid," she said firmly.

Suddenly, Luffy stood up. His head was turned to the ground, and his hat shadowed his eyes. He started walking away without saying a word. "Where are you going?" Nojiko asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. I'm just going for a walk." Zoro watched him leave. Luffy had been absolutely livid in the previous timeline, and he hadn't even heard the full story. Hearing it now when he was already restraining himself from splaying Arlong's blood over the walls of Arlong Park couldn't be easy. He sighed. Zoro hadn't been planning on killing Arlong. Maybe just crippling him for life. It was always morality, not naïveté, that caused Luffy to refrain from killing his enemies, but sometimes he wondered what it would take to push his captain over the edge.

* * *

When Luffy said he was going for a walk, he meant it. He walked from the ruins of Gosa Village all the way to Cocoyasi Village without even realizing it, until finally a familiar scarred face broke him out of his thoughts. Genzo.

"What exactly do you want from Nami?" he asked hesitantly as he led a group of Marine soldiers into the village.

"It's just Marine business. I'm not at liberty to discuss it," the Marine captain answered with a smirk. They arrived at a tangerine grove where they found Nami, who had a wary look on her face as they walked up to her.

"Are you the outlaw named Nami?" the Marine captain asked, knowing full well that she was.

"Outlaw?" she asked. "I guess you can say that. I am an Arlong Pirate, after all." Her jaw seemed to clench as she said that.

"Pirate?" he asked in feigned confusion. "Well, I didn't know anything about that. I'm here to address the issue of your thievery."

Nami narrowed her eyes at him. "Thievery? I don't see how that's an issue at all. I only steal from pirates."

"True," he conceded. "But that doesn't change the fact that the money has original owners. My job is to confiscate it and return it all to them." At these words, Nami's expression turned menacing. There was no way they could possibly figure out who the individual owners of everything she stole were. They just wanted to keep it for themselves. This was why she hated the Marines. Corruption was so common among them.

"Do you really think you can walk away with my money just like that? Arlong won't forgive you if you make a move against one of his officers." She almost choked on the words. She _hated_ using Arlong's name as leverage, but if they confiscated her money now, it would ruin everything.

"The Marines do not acknowledge pirates as authoritative figures, so I'm afraid your point is irrelevant," he replied readily. It was only a minute later that Nami realized the hypocrisy of that statement. The Marines had started searching the premises, and that was the last straw for Nami.

"What kind of Marines are you!?" she screamed. "8 years! Arlong has had this village enslaved for 8 years, and you haven't done jack shit about it! Now when you finally show up, it's to confiscate the money of one petty little thief!?"

"The Marines also do not take advice on how to do their jobs from petty little thieves," the Marine captain replied with practiced ease.

"Sir! These tangerine groves look suspicious," one Marine reported.

"Well, don't just stand there. Dig it up," he ordered. The Marine began to comply before he was knocked over by Nami's staff, which struck him in the face smoothly. "Don't touch Bell-mère's grove with your filthy hands!" she seethed. "I won't let you take any of it! That money is—"

"That money is the salvation of this village! What right do you have to lay a finger on it, fucking Marine!?" Genzo shouted at the top of his lungs.

Nami froze. "Gen-san...how did you know?" she whispered.

"We've always known, Nami," he said quietly. "We only feigned ignorance so that our hopes wouldn't pull you back into this if you ever wanted to leave." He looked her dead in the eyes. "But you never did. You've struggled and suffered for our sakes all this time. You endured. For that reason alone, we've endured as well." Nami choked on a sob.

"Oh, so you're saying you're all accomplices, then?" Captain Nezumi asked. He was taunting them now.

"We're saying that we've had to fight by ourselves all this time because you Marines can't do your jobs!" a new voice shouted.

"Nojiko…" Nami was having trouble keeping her composure.

"If you didn't come here to arrest Arlong, then you all better get off this island!" she continued. "Arlong will sink your ship if you don't!"

"I wonder about that," Nezumi responded lazily. Nami's blood froze. "Hey! Haven't you found it yet? I'm not asking you to find a needle in a haystack! This is 100 million Belly we're talking about!"

Genzo and Nojiko both wore the same horrified expression. "You…how did you know it was that much?" Genzo asked quietly.

Nezumi scratched his head, noticing his slip-up. "Oh, that? I just had a hunch that it was in that ballpark," he said with a devious smirk.

Nami trembled with rage. This…this transcended corruption. She couldn't even think of words to describe this. She slowly made her way towards the Marine, oblivious of everything else that was happening, as Nezumi ordered his men to make sure they didn't interfere with the search again. She didn't notice the resigned yet resolved look that manifested in Genzo's eyes. She didn't notice as Nojiko scrambled up behind her to hold her back. She didn't notice the pistol that one Marine pulled from his holster and aimed at Nojiko.

The gunshot never went off, though. Genzo and Nojiko, as well as the villagers that were starting to gather around, watched in shock as every single Marine fell over onto the ground, unconscious. "What?" was all Nojiko could say. She had just realized the danger they were in when one Marine aimed a gun at them when they collapsed. "What on earth just happened?" Muttering broke out between the villagers.

A small part of Nami's mind was reminding her that she knew exactly what had just happened, but she ignored it in favor of running in the direction of Arlong Park._ Arlong_. She knew what his game was. He knew how close she had been. Even though these Marines had failed, _something_ would happen to her money before she returned from her next trip, and there was nothing she could do about it. _Arlong!_

* * *

She reached the gates and stomped towards him in a frigid rage. "Arlong!"

"Oh, it's our navigator! What can I help you with, Nami?" he asked, despite knowing full well why she was there.

"What did you do!? You said you wouldn't break our promise, no matter how long I took! And yet you send Marines to confiscate my money!?"

"Break my promise?" he asked in a bored tone. "When did I break my promise?"

"Don't bullshit me! Those Marines you sent are unconscious in the ground of our village right now! You can't deny it!"

Arlong looked a little surprised at this information. _Useless Marines…no matter. It's not as if I don't know where she keeps it. It won't be here when she comes back next time._

"Oh, _those_ Marines. Yeah, I sent them," he stated casually. "So, tell me. When exactly did I break our promise?" he asked with a dark look. Tears started to form in Nami's eyes and he laughed maniacally. "It certainly would be unfortunate if anything happened to all that money," he continued. "But you know what our agreement is. Unless you hand me a total sum of 100 million Belly, I have no obligation to set your village free." He continued laughing as Nami ran out Arlong Park, tears trailing down her face.

_I have to stop them._ As angry as she was, there was only one thing she could do. By now, Genzo would have informed the entire village of what happened. She couldn't let them throw their lives away now, after everything they'd endured.

She arrived back in Cocoyasi Village and sighed in relief. Genzo was still rallying the villagers. She hadn't missed them. At the sight of the cheap swords and pitchforks in their hands, Nami wanted to puke. What were they trying to accomplish?

She forced a smile onto her face as she tried to convince them to wait a little longer, that it would be easier to collect the money this time around, but they would have none of it. They were getting ready to leave when she pulled out a knife in desperation. "I won't let you go! You'll just be throwing your lives away!" she screamed as she faced Genzo.

"We know," he said simply. Nami choked as he reached out and grabbed the edge of her knife with his hand, and the tears escaped her again as blood poured down his fingers. "Leave this island, Nami," he said, before walking past her. She fell to her knees as they all did the same. She was defeated. Completely and utterly defeated. Everything she had worked for was about to be thrown away. She took one look at the tattoo on her arm before gripping it with her other hand, wanting nothing more than to rip the abomination off of her skin. She grabbed the knife as her desperation made way for anger and prepared to stab the horrid mark, willing it to disappear.

"_Arlong!_" she shouted through tears as she started to thrust the knife towards her shoulder. A firm hand stopped her and pulled the knife away, and she looked over her shoulder. Luffy.

"What do you want?" she whispered. He was silent. She hadn't seen him since Baratie, and seeing him again now just increased the pain tenfold. There was no way he wouldn't act, she knew instinctively. Did she have to lose him too? Would he just be another one of her failures, lured here by his irrational loyalty to her, only to die? Was that her fate? To watch those around her throw their lives away for her sake?

"What do you want?" she repeated, louder this time. "You know nothing. You have no idea what this village has been through all this time!"

Luffy didn't correct her as he banished the thoughts of the people of a certain town being burnt alive like trash that were flickering through his mind. "Whether I know or not is irrelevant," he said. "Because I can see you suffering right in front of me either way."

"_Go away!_" she screeched as she broke down into sobs again. Luffy felt the weight of the world on him. He knew that preventing this would have had its own consequences, but that didn't make it any easier. It truly was a heavy burden. Did he have the right to make decisions like this simply because he knew what would happen afterwards? He had prolonged Nami's suffering in order to gain her approval to crush Arlong. Was it worth it? Should he have let Zoro cut him down from the beginning, even if it meant Nami would scorn them?

He tried to imagine his crew without Nami in it. He couldn't. Was he being selfish? It wasn't just for the benefit of the entire crew that Nami would come with them. Her dream was to draw a world map. Eventually, that dream would draw her to places that had never been catalogued before. The chances of Nami making it through the Grand Line _alone_ were extremely slim, even if she got stronger than she ever had in the previous timeline. In addition to that, the thought of Nami traveling the seas alone any longer made his chest _ache_.

"Luffy…" she whispered as she finally looked up at him. "Help me…"

Luffy had come back to change things. And yet, there were some things he wouldn't do any differently even if he came back a thousand times. He took off his hat and placed it firmly over her head. His arms tensed as he walked in front of her, itching to get a crack at something. He stopped, raised his head, and shouted to the heavens.

"_**Damn straight!**_"

Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku were waiting for him nearby. "Let's go," he said as they walked by, and they all looked up.

"Right."

* * *

Genzo led the villagers to the front of the gates, which were shut tightly. "Arlong!" he shouted. "We know you're in there! Open the gates and face us!" The shouts of the villagers mimicked his demands, and after a few seconds, the gates started to open, inviting them in. They could see Arlong's amused grin as they walked in, and this only served to infuriate them more.

"Well, if it isn't my loyal citizens. What can I help you with?" he asked mockingly.

"You know why we're here, you fish bastard. We've come to kill you," Genzo said scathingly. Arlong was not pleased by this comment. If it was one thing that grated on his nerves, it was humans insulting the superiority of the fishman race. He got up from his throne like chair and walked closer to Genzo, who raised the sword that he was carrying. Before he could use it, though, Arlong was in front of him faster than he could react, holding him up by his throat.

"You know, this is actually perfect. I was never able to carry out your execution, rebel," he said with a dark smirk. He lifted Genzo higher and started choking the life out of him, and Genzo dropped his sword helplessly. The rest of the villagers were cut off in their approach by dozens of fishmen. "I guess this is it, then, human scum."

Before he could rip the man's throat out as he planned on doing, a large projectile shot through the gates of Arlong Park. Arlong could just perceive the shape of a man as it flew right towards him before a hand was gripping his arm and slowly crushing it. Arlong screamed in pain as he dropped Genzo, who fell to the ground in a fit of coughs as he clutched his throat. Arlong's assailant spun around, pulling his large body into a circular path in the process, before launching him through the first floor of Arlong Park. He crashed through several walls before he finally came to a stop.

The villagers looked at their village leader's savior in a mix between shock and wonder. When Genzo had somewhat recovered, he looked up and his eyes widened. "You're that kid. The one with the straw hat." He would never forget his appearance, with or without the hat. He had been the first in so long to stand up to Arlong. Him and his group of friends. This was the second time they had saved his life. He should have been extremely grateful, but he hardly even valued his own life at this point.

The hostile fishmen all rounded on Luffy, dozens of them running at him. Two more men stopped them. One had blond hair and wore a black button-down suit and tie. The other was the swordsman who had challenged Arlong in Cocoyasi Village. The two men started ruthlessly beating down the fishmen until finally two of Arlong's officers, Hachi and Kuroobi, confronted them. A few of the weaker fishmen were still standing, but Johnny and Yosaku were keeping them busy.

Sanji took a look at his opponent and hummed before looking to Zoro. "Which one do you want then?" he asked casually. Zoro turned to him.

"Actually, you can take both if you want," he said.

Sanji stared at him, thinking that it really didn't seem like his style to sit back and watch. "Your injury…" he finally said.

"Hurts like a bitch," Zoro finished. "But that doesn't matter. I just want to see what our newest recruit can do."

Sanji grinned. "Well, don't get too comfortable. This'll be over quick."

Suddenly, there was a crash in the building Luffy sent Arlong into. The shark fishman walked out slowly. He clutched his arm awkwardly, the scowl on his face even angrier than the bruise on his arm. He walked up to Luffy.

"That's quite the grip you have there, human. I hope you're prepared for the consequences of what you've just done."

"I'm always prepared for the consequences," Luffy answered evenly. "Except when there are none." Arlong's scowl deepened and he lunged at Luffy faster than the villagers could see. Luffy started dodging attacks one by one as they came at him in quick successions. Punches, kicks, and chomps all threatened him in a furious combo, but nothing hit him. Arlong was quickly growing frustrated. He tried to grab Luffy, but was sent flying back into Arlong Park with a kick. Their spectators watched in amazement. They could barely keep up with this fight. The only ones who could were Zoro and Sanji, but Sanji was being kept busy to say the least.

Another of Arlong's officers, Chew, spat a series of water bullets at Luffy, which he effortlessly dodged. He was about to run at the rubber man before he was hit with an Exploding Star and turned to face Usopp in annoyance. Usopp ran, and Chew followed behind him, stopping to look at the villagers, who stiffened in fear, before getting hit by another Exploding Star. He growled in pain and continued the chase. _There's too much water here_, Usopp thought frantically. _I have to lead him somewhere else. He'll run out eventually if there's no water source._

* * *

Sanji dodged two swipes from Hachi's swords and blocked a punch from Kuroobi with his knee, flipping backwards and landing before jumping forward and roundhouse kicking Kuroobi. Kuroobi blocked the kick but was pushed back and landed on his back. Sanji tried to press the advantage and land a drop kick, but Hachi intercepted him, forcing him to dodge the swipes of his six spinning swords. Kuroobi got up and charged at him again.

Sanji narrowly avoided the blow and dropped under Kuroobi's arm, kicking up at his face. The force of the kick sent him sailing upwards, and Sanji pushed off the ground to land another kick to his head from above. He hit the ground face-first, but before Sanji could land, Hachi's six swords were bearing down on him. He did a flip in mid air to position himself so that he could avoid most of them, but one connected, opening a small wound on his torso.

He landed as Hachi swiped again, but Sanji weaved between his swords and planted his foot into the octopus fishman's gut. Hachi was thrown back, gasping for air, but before Sanji could take another shot at him, Kuroobi was back in the fight. Sanji jumped above the punch he threw and twisted in midair in order to land a kick to the side of his head. His wound from before opened a bit in the process, and he winced. Hachi was still recovering and Sanji took the time to catch himself in a handstand and unleash a barrage of kicks on Kuroobi, who guarded with his arms but still took blows to his legs and stomach. He started leading Sanji away from Hachi, going on the defensive and dodging his kicks until they both got close to the water.

Sanji realized the danger he was in as Kuroobi grabbed him by the arm and tried to hurl them both in, but Sanji crushed his hand with his knee, and Kuroobi was forced to let go, cursing in pain. Sanji landed on the edge where the land ceased and quickly jumped back over, making a mental note not to get anywhere close to the water. Kuroobi stayed in the water and waited him out, not wanting to give up his advantage, which was fine with him.

Suddenly he cursed as he had forgotten about Hachi, who tried to impale him from behind, only for Sanji to drop to all fours on instinct and then pushed himself into the air before Hachi brought his swords down. He did a backflip in midair and kicked Hachi's head to the concrete with both legs. Hachi dropped his swords once his head made contact and Sanji landed, turning around and kicking him again with one leg to send him crashing into a wall. He took a minute to catch his breath before Kuroobi shot out of the water, realizing that his plan had backfired once he had left Hachi alone.

Sanji got ready to dodge Kuroobi's next punch, but he stumbled as his gradually opening wound protested the movement, and the attack hit him dead on where the sword swipe had injured him earlier. Sanji held in a groan of pain as he flew through the wall of the park from the force of the blow and landed on his back.

* * *

Usopp shot a series of Exploding Stars at Chew, who dodged most of them. Even the ones that hit him only seemed to annoy him further. As Chew got closer, he continued running, desperate to create more distance between them. It was kind of surprising that he actually ran faster than this guy, but he didn't dwell on that particular blessing. Suddenly, Chew stopped running. He took a deep breath, aimed, and fired a water gun at Usopp. Usopp turned around and it seemed to hit him in the chest. He fell over onto the ground motionlessly.

Chew walked up to him, looked him over, and decided he was dead. He started to walk away, grumbling something about fast running weaklings. Usopp looked up from where he lay. The shot had missed him narrowly, but he had used a Ketchup Star to fake a hit. He wondered if he could really win this fight. There was no water around, but he didn't know how much the fishman had left to begin with. He briefly contemplated just letting the fishman walk away. It was unlikely that he could win this fight. But what if that guy went after the villagers or swayed the outcome of one of the other fights? It would be his fault.

He thought about it for a moment before Luffy's words came to his mind. _Not doubting. That is true power._ If he was going to question his chances of victory every time he needed to get a job like this done, did he even have the right to call himself their crewmate? The obvious answer was no. With that thought, he slowly rose to his feet, his heart pounding and his legs shaking, and shouted.

"Where do you think you're going, you fish bastard!? I'm not done with you yet!" Chew turned around, annoyed. If this guy was alive, he really should have played dead for a little longer. He ran back towards Usopp and blocked an Exploding Star with his hand, ignoring the sting. He tried to shoot another water cannon at the sniper, only for his eyes to widen. He was out of water.

Instinctively he caught something that was thrown at him. He looked at it in confusion. A sake bottle? Suddenly, an Explosive Star hit the bottle, and the sake drenched him. He growled in annoyance.

_This is it! There's no turning back! The saga of the cowardly, good for nothing Usopp…_

"It's over!" he shouted out loud.

"What's over, you stupid shit?" Chew asked, not being able to read his thoughts.

"This fight! Alcohol is flammable," Usopp replied confidently. "_**Certain Death! Flame Star!**_"

Chew tried to block this one only for his entire body to catch fire once it made contact with his hand. He screamed in agony and started rolling on the ground, desperately trying to put the fire out. Usopp took the opportunity and leapt over him, bringing down a hammer full force onto his skull. "_**Usopp Hammer**_!" Chew stopped flailing, and Usopp sat beside him, panting. Suddenly, Chew twitched and let out a groan, and Usopp freaked out, hitting him on the head with the hammer repeatedly and yelling Usopp hammer all the while.

_Where did he even get that hammer? _was Chew's last thought before he blacked out.

* * *

Hachi and Kuroobi both rushed him to finish Sanji as he slowly rose to his feet.

_This is nothing_, he thought, shaking off the pain and getting ready for another round. _What Nami-san has endured these past eight years…_

The fishman duo came at him from two sides, and Sanji placed his palm down on the ground and started spinning rapidly.

_It puts this pain to shame!_

"_**Concasse!**_**" **The spinning kick caught both fishmen in its circular path and they were both blown back off their feet. Before either could get up, Sanji jumped into the air and performed a series of front flips for momentum before bringing his heel down on Hachi's skull, putting him out of commission. He was unable to recover in time, though, and Kuroobi took the chance to land his strongest attack.

"_**Thousand Brick Fist!**_" The heavy punch hit Sanji dead center and he felt at least two ribs break. He was thrown back again, crashing through the same wall again. Even that didn't stop his momentum, though, and he crashed again through the wall in Arlong Park before coming to a stop. Kuroobi followed him in, seething. "You bastard. Look what you've done to Hachi. Don't think I'll forgive you for this," he called out, assuming the fight was over. Sanji rose shakily to his feet, however, and Kuroobi was infuriated further when he came into the building only to find Sanji standing.

"That's just fine with me," Sanji replied, coughing up blood. "Because I don't intend to forgive what you bastards did to Nami-san.

"Nami?" Kuroobi scoffed and then laughed. "Don't tell me you're all here to avenge that manipulative backstabbing woman! She was just using you from the beginning. Your pathetic chivalry is wasted on her!"

Sanji's gaze darkened. He could handle the pathetic chivalry part, but the rest he couldn't ignore. "Get this through your thick skull, fish stick. Nami is the navigator for our crew, and that's not about to change anytime soon. So if you're going to stand there and insult her, I hope you're ready for some pain." Before Kuroobi could retort, Sanji shot forward, delivering a series of swift and precise kicks to the fishman's head, neck, torso, arms, and legs. Kuroobi stumbled and fell back. He struggled to stand, and Sanji let him recover as he lit a cigarette.

Kuroobi roared and jumped into the air, intending to drop kick Sanji, but Sanji ducked under him. "_**Anti Manner Kick Course!**_" He shoved his foot upwards at a 180-degree angle into Kuroobi's chest, and the ray fishman barreled through several floors of the building. He got lodged into one of the upper floors before blacking out.

Sanji blew out a puff of smoke. Chef: 2, Fish: 0. He tapped his foot against the ground a couple of times before he walked out of the slowly collapsing building to face a grinning Zoro.

"Not bad, Cook," Zoro commented.

"Shut it," Sanji replied, before promptly collapsing onto his back with his arms spread out.

"You missed quite the show. I think you can still catch the end of it, though," Zoro said, pointing. Sanji followed his finger to the crowd of villagers. Among them was Nami. When had she gotten here? They were all staring at something with awed expressions. He leaned onto his arm to get a better view. Luffy was standing in front of a pool of blood. He was covered in it. It coated the length of his arm and oozed down his fist, dripping onto the concrete below. And yet, Sanji couldn't see any wounds on him. Was it…?

His eyes widened as he realized it all belonged to Arlong, who was lying before Luffy in a crumpled heap, gasping and struggling to push himself to all fours. "Get up." Luffy commanded. Arlong was torn between trying to continue the fight and refusing the human's command, but settled on trying to do what Luffy had said, only to slump to the ground again. "Get up," Luffy said again. "This is nothing. Absolutely nothing compared to what she went through. You're not getting off this easily."

Arlong roared in contempt and raised his head off the ground in a burst of adrenaline, only to be kicked across the face by Luffy. There was a deafening crack. His nose bent at an awkward angle and blood flew from his face. He dropped back to the ground, out cold with his eyes rolled back.

His audience was silent for a long while, taking in the sight. Finally, one villager—the doctor who had treated him last time, Zoro thought idly—remembered how to speak. "Arlong Park has fallen," he whispered. Nojiko nodded weakly. As if to verify his statement, the building that Sanji had let loose on finally collapsed, crumbling from top to bottom until all that was left was a pile of rubble. This was the signal for the villagers to break out in a fit of cheers. They cheered for the end of Arlong's reign, for the end of their enslavement, for the end of Nami's suffering, and for the beginning of their new life.

In the midst of it all, Nami walked up to Luffy and pressed his hat back on his head. The tension vanished from Luffy's face at the sight of her and he flashed her the widest grin he'd worn since arriving on the island before speaking.

"So, you wanted to draw a world map, right? You're going to have to go to the Grand Line eventually," he said matter-of-factly. Nami smiled.

"What do you mean, 'eventually'? How long are you planning to wait, Captain?" At this, Luffy's grin grew, and he was about to answer when Nami pulled him into a hug, returning the gesture he had offered at Baratie. Some of the villagers saw this, their protective instincts kicking in, and although they didn't stop cheering, several decided they would need to have a talk with Luffy at some point. Genzo was among them. But for now, they just continued celebrating.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was a long chapter huh? Sorry Zoro didn't get a fight. I couldn't really think of a way to hype a Zoro vs. Hachi fight, so I decided to give Sanji a bigger challenge. And let's be honest, Zoro's hype train still hasn't stopped even though his fight with Mihawk ended two chapter's ago.


	12. Booze, Pinwheels, and Ham Melons

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. But I've got the next best thing, a kickass One Piece fan fiction. And that makes me awesome. Right? **RIGHT**? Fine, whatever. Enjoy the Arlong post-arc.

* * *

Chapter XII: Booze, Pinwheels, and Ham Melons

It seemed all of the fighters were exhausted except for Luffy, even if they didn't show it: Johnny and Yosaku due to fighting fishmen when they were used to fighting normal humans for the most part; Sanji due to being tag teamed by Arlong's officers; and Zoro due to his injury from Mihawk, which had never properly been treated, Luffy remembered. Usopp soon arrived back at the scene, only to look around in confusion. Was the fight over…? He looked from the villagers to the bloodied, beaten form of Arlong, and then joined in on the celebrations himself. "Captain Usopp has returned from battle victorious!" he shouted, despite his own exhaustion. A few villagers clapped him on the back, going along with his antics in their sheer joy.

"Wait," one of the villagers said suddenly. "What about the Marines? The ones that tried to take Nami's money? What do we do about them?" Nami suddenly felt angered at the thought of those bastards waking up and trying to take her money again, but Luffy reassured her.

"Don't worry about it. They won't be waking up for a few days," he said. "I put them all into temporary comas."

Nami stared. "Comas?" she repeated.

"Yeah," Luffy said. "Maybe I went overboard on that one." He pouted. "But they were annoying."

Nami kept staring at him for a few seconds, and then let out a long, joy-filled laugh. The villagers all turned to her in surprise, taking in the melodic sound that they hadn't heard in so long. The collapse of that abhorred building didn't signify their new beginning. No, it was this. They decided to move their celebrations out of this damnable place and continue them in the village. Luffy grinned enthusiastically, remembering how long this celebration would last. He always loved a good banquet.

When they got back to the village, Luffy's head perked up. "There's a Marine ship on its way," he said, drawing everyone's attention.

"How do you know?" Genzo asked worriedly.

"I can tell," he responded cryptically.

"They probably noticed that those rats were unaccounted for," Zoro cut in, referring to the Marines who had been hired by Arlong, "and decided to investigate. The Marines didn't know what the idiot Marine captain was up to after all. He wasn't supposed to be gone this long." The villagers shot each other worried looks. The Marines weren't exactly their allies at this point. They decided to return to the village for now.

When they arrived back in Cocoyasi, the Marines were already there, standing over the unconscious forms of Captain Nezumi's squad and unsuccessfully trying to rouse them. The commander in charge addressed the approaching crowd. "Would any of you happen to know what occurred here?" he asked formally. The villagers hesitated, not really knowing themselves, before Nami stepped forward. "They were taken out by the fishmen," she lied. The commander looked at her and nodded. Nezumi had reported that he was coming here to investigate the situation, against the advice of his higher ups. It wasn't surprising that the Arlong Pirates had subdued them upon their arrival.

Commander Chodo gritted his teeth in frustration. Unlike Captain Nezumi, he was under direct orders not to confront the Arlong Pirates. The higher-ups were insistent on this after hearing that the Marine captain hadn't returned. Chodo was one of the few higher-ranking Marines that believed they should commit their resources to bring down the powerful fishman pirates, despite the adamant refusal of his superiors. Now he was under orders to retrieve Nezumi, if possible without engaging said pirates, which meant that he had to tell these villagers to their faces that he was leaving.

Luffy could sense the conflicted emotions radiating from this Marine. The man was clearly torn. He turned to observe Nami, whose gaze had softened, no doubt coming to the same conclusion. "It's OK," Nami finally spoke quietly. "Arlong Park has fallen." The Marine looked at her in shock.

"Fallen…?" he repeated dumbly. "Who…" he trailed off.

"The Arlong Pirates were taken down by another pirate crew," Nami said, conveniently leaving out the fact that said pirate crew was standing right in front of him.

Luffy stepped forward. "That would be us," he said. Zoro laughed and Nami looked at him in concern. The commander just stared at him.

"And who would you be?" he asked carefully.

"Monkey D. Luffy," he replied.

The commander's eyes widened slightly at the name, but then he looked down and placed his hand over his eyes in shame. They had been so indecisive. They had appeased Arlong so long, and the people of this island had finally been forced to rely on a grudge match between pirates for salvation.

Then he looked up. There was only one thing he could do at this point. If the Arlong Pirates had time to recover, it would start all over again. He was arresting them right here and now. His orders hadn't accounted for the fact that Arlong would be incapacitated, after all. He signaled to his squad and they split into two groups, one bringing Nezumi's squad back to the ship and the other heading in the direction of Arlong Park.

* * *

Once the Marines left, the celebration really began. Other villages had been informed of Arlong's defeat and Cocoyasi soon became one giant festival. Luffy ran through the streets in the direction of Sanji's aura. He stopped when he spotted him taking the last bite of a melon. "Ah, that hit the spot," Sanji said in satisfaction. "Cooking is great, but sometimes it's nice to just sit back and do the eating."

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy yelled. "What was that melon you were eating just now?"

"Ah, that? That was ham melon. They basically take a melon and then cover it in smoked ham. It's really—"

"Where'd you get it!?" Luffy interrupted in desperation. Sanji sweatdropped.

"Someone was walking around with it, but I doubt you'll find them in this crowd…" Luffy dashed off into the crowd, eager to prove him wrong. _This time I'm eating that ham melon for sure! _he thought with determination. He reached out with his Observation Haki, trying to find the aura of someone who was walking around with ham melon. Goddammit. What the hell did that even feel like?

"He sure is enthusiastic," Sanji commented.

"Oh, Luffy? He's usually like that," Zoro said plainly. He had suffered through the excruciating pain of having his wound sewed up properly after leaving it alone for a while. That was not pleasant. At least he was looking less pale and livelier now, Sanji noted.

Sanji stood up and stretched. "Well, now that I'm full…" He ran off towards the crowd. "Time to flirt!" he yelled unashamedly.

Zoro leaned back and yawned. "Time to sleep," he said before dozing off.

In the middle of the crowd, Usopp stood on top of a tall stack of tables and yelled into a megaphone. "It is I, Captain Usopp, the proud warrior who triumphed over an officer of the Arlong Pirates! Let's all sing a song in honor of my bravery!" The drunken crowd cheered and applauded before submitting to the ludicrous request.

_Usopp sure knows how to work a crowd…_Sanji thought as he sat in the middle of several women who were asking if he really took out both of Arlong's best officers. He leaned his head back in bliss. He wouldn't mind staying here for a couple days himself…

* * *

Luffy walked up a hill in a mix between satisfaction at the ham melon he was currently chewing on and exasperation at the villagers that kept pulling him aside. He had already had a talk with 6 of them, each of them asking what his intentions toward Nami were. He had replied to each of them that she was his navigator and his close friend, and they had all accepted this after making the same request: take care of Nami. He had promised each one that he would.

As he reached the top of the hill he spotted Genzo in front of a grave. He walked up and stood beside him, reading the name on the grave. _Bell-mère_. Genzo glanced at him and nodded. He returned the gesture before speaking. "Nojiko told us about Nami's mother. She was a strong person," he said. Genzo looked back at the grave.

"She was," he agreed quietly. They were silent for a while before Genzo spoke again. "I know Nami is going with you on your journey." Luffy looked at him and nodded.

"After the lengths that you've gone for her, I feel like I can trust you," he continued. "But know this. If you ever rob Nami of her smile, I will hunt you down and kill you myself." He looked Luffy dead in the eyes as he said this, and Luffy stared back. He knew he would never take away Nami's happiness. She had been smiling right up until the end. The ship of the Straw Hat Pirates had been her home. So he didn't hesitate when he responded.

"It's Genzo, right? You have my word that I will take it upon myself to preserve Nami's smile every chance I get." Genzo kept staring at him for a few seconds, and then a grin broke out across his face.

"That's good to hear," he said, before handing Luffy a bottle of sake. They both drank contentedly and watched the sunset as Genzo laughed heartily at Luffy's stories about Nami during the time they had sailed together in East Blue. Luffy himself learned why Genzo always wore a pinwheel on his hat. That was an interesting tale.

"So, she told you her name was Nojiko?" Genzo asked in amusement.

"Yeah," Luffy answered. "I don't think she counted on me ever coming here."

Genzo continued to laugh uncontrollably. Luffy could tell the alcohol was getting to him. "You sure you should be drinking this much?" he asked, amused.

"Ah, don't worry about it! Today is an exception," he said jovially before taking another long swig of sake, emptying the bottle and tossing it into the growing pile. Luffy shrugged and continued drinking himself. An hour later, he chuckled and threw Genzo's reeking, unconscious body over his shoulder before walking back in the direction of the village.

* * *

The next morning, Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji got the Going Merry ready for their departure. Johnny and Yosaku informed them that they would return to pirate hunting, and after saying their goodbyes, set out in the small boat that Luffy and Sanji had arrived in.

Sanji looked around at the coast worriedly. "Where is Nami-san? She is coming, isn't she?"

"Don't worry. She'll come. She probably just wants to make a grand exit," Zoro said with a smirk, remembering how she had left last time.

"I hope so. She's half the reason I'm here," Sanji stated with a straight face. Luffy turned to him.

"Oh, Sanji! I finally found that ham melon! It was delicious," he said with enthusiasm.

Nojiko was arguing with the villagers over Nami's decision to leave the 93 million Belly with them when they heard a voice shout in the distance. "_Set sail!_"

Nami came running towards the ship, weaving through the villagers as they tried to stop her, asking why she was leaving without saying goodbye. Genzo was indignant at her audacity. After all this, she was leaving without hearing their thanks?

"Hey, what's she doing?" Usopp asked. Luffy just laughed.

"You heard her. Set sail." As the ship started to pull away from the coast, Nami weaved through the last of the villagers, which were all screaming for her to stop. She jumped from the coast high into the air, grabbed hold of the railing of the Going Merry, and flipped herself over onto the deck. She looked back at the villagers and smirked before pulling the bottom of her shirt up. Dozens of wallets fell onto the deck, and the villagers suddenly brought their hands to their pockets with horrified expressions.

"_You rotten thief!_" they all shouted. Nami simply smiled and waved before holding something up in her right hand. It looked like a…belt? Genzo's eyes suddenly widened and he looked down in horror before his pants fell to the ground around his ankles.

"_Nami!_"

Luffy laughed uncontrollably. That was a nice touch. "Are we gonna be all right?" Usopp asked.

"Get back here you thieving cat!"

"Give us back our wallets!"

"Relinquish my belt at once!"

"Thank you for everything!"

"Stay safe!"

"Come back anytime!" The shouts grew distant as the Going Merry drew further from the coast, setting out once again.

* * *

A/N: Ah, the ham melon. It was so disappointing that Luffy never got to eat it. I just had to fix that. This concludes the last East Blue recruitment arc. Exciting right?


	13. Rebirth of a Legend

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Then again, these disclaimers might just be here to mislead you. I could be Oda, for all you know. Who says a mangaka can't write a fan fiction? I guess you'll never know.

* * *

Chapter XIII: Rebirth of a Legend

The Going Merry sailed smoothly through calm seas as seagulls flocked overhead. Just a typical morning in the life of the Straw Hat Pirates. Of course, the Straw Hats themselves would be bored out of their minds if they had to sit through what was considered typical by anyone else's standards. Sanji was kicking Luffy in the face, Usopp was running around like a chicken without its head due to the Tabasco sauce in his eyes, Nami was complaining to an apologetic News Coo about the price of the paper, Zoro was experimenting, seeing if he could speed up the ship by sending blunt winds at the back of the sail with his sword, and Luffy was…well, getting kicked in the face by Sanji.

"Come on, Sanji! Let me have one! They look so good," Luffy complained as his stomach growled.

"Absolutely not! These are Nami-san's tangerine groves, and it is my sacred duty to defend them at any cost!"

"Thanks a lot, Sanji-kun!" Nami called. Luffy turned to Nami.

"What's your problem, Nami? Just one?" he whined.

"No way. That's what you get for trying to steal them," she said, without looking up from her newspaper.

"Oh, come on, Nami," Luffy said with a devious smile. "If I really wanted to steal one, do you honestly think Sanji could stop me?"

Sanji was indignant at this, and Nami looked at him curiously. Suddenly, he disappeared from his seated position before their eyes. Sanji blinked before Luffy called out to them from behind the tangerine grove.

Nami let out a resigned sigh, realizing he could probably have stolen every single one without getting caught, and relented. "I guess you have a point," she said.

"How so?" Sanji asked. His head was sagged and he was visibly sulking.

"But just one!" Nami called out. Luffy nodded his agreement and dashed back over before digging into the tangerine, peel and all. That was when the wind blew loose flyers out of the newspaper, and they landed on the deck. Everyone stared down at them with mixed expressions: Luffy in excitement, Nami in horror, Usopp in surprise, and Sanji in indifferent acknowledgement.

"Zoro!" Luffy called out eagerly.

* * *

It was a peaceful day in Marineford…well, as peaceful as the Headquarters of the World Government's military branch could get, anyway. Incessant mutterings broke out among the high-ranking Marines in the conference room before Brannew broke them off with a polite clearing of his throat.

"We apologize, Commodore," one Marine said. "But do you really think that our Marine branches in East Blue will be unable to deal with this threat?"

Brannew nodded. "To be blunt, they won't even come close," he said regretfully. He turned to three bounty posters that hung on the wall. "Buggy the Clown, 15 million Belly, Pirate Fleet Admiral Don Krieg, 17 million Belly, and Saw-Tooth Arlong, 20 million Belly. Taking into account that the average bounty in East Blue is 3 million, the fact that his crew crushed them all can't be ignored. These three had the highest active bounties in the eastern seas."

Brannew's audience processed this information as he continued, "It is not just their captain that has caught our attention, however. It was his first mate, former Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, that ended Captain Morgan's…um…suspicious activity in Branch 153." A few Marines shifted uncomfortably at this. "Furthermore, Buggy the Clown unwittingly let slip during his interrogation that it was Roronoa Zoro that incapacitated him. Taking into account the nature of his Devil Fruit and the fact that Roronoa Zoro is a swordsman, this is an impressive feat."

Brannew rubbed his chin in thought. "Our sources suggest that Don Krieg, although not captured like the other two, was defeated by their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, rather easily, and Commander Chodo…or rather, Captain Chodo," he corrected absently, thinking back on the strange circumstances of the man's recent promotion, "confirmed that Arlong was taken out by the same man. Although they have yet to challenge the Marines or the World Government directly, Captain Nezumi and Lieutenant Fullbody have both readily suggested that bounties be placed on their heads.

"If I may interrupt, Commodore," one Marine said politely. Brannew nodded at him. "What of the strange gossip regarding Pirate Hunter Zoro's alleged clash with the Royal Warlord, Dracule Mihawk?" More mutterings broke out among the Marines in the room. Brannew grimaced.

"These rumors were no doubt brought on by Mihawk's spontaneous appearance in the weakest of the eight seas. It is not surprising that gossip of this nature would start. Roronoa Zoro is the most famed swordsman in East Blue, after all," Brannew speculated. "Nevertheless, we will not humor such nonsense." He looked down at the posters in his hand. "Still, the ease with which they defeated these threats, and the threat that they themselves pose, cannot go unnoticed. It is for these reasons that we have placed record-setting bounties on their heads," he finished.

* * *

The Straw Hats continued to stare at the two wanted posters. Zoro walked up and whistled at the sight.

"Straw Hat Luffy, bounty 45 million Belly," Usopp whispered.

"Demon Wind Zoro, bounty 28 million Belly," Nami added in dismay.

Luffy laughed happily. "45 million! How about that?"

"28 million," Zoro repeated. "I must say I'm a little disappointed," he said with a smile that suggested he was not at all disappointed. _I wonder what caused the change in title…oh, well, I never called myself a pirate hunter anyway._

"As usual, you fail to understand the gravity of the situation," Nami said with her head in her hand. "With this, Marines and bounty hunters will be actively seeking us out."

Luffy stopped laughing. "Yeah, you're right. Really weak Marines and bounty hunters," he said with a pout.

Zoro frowned. "Didn't think of that. Now a bunch of nobodies will be coming after us. What an insult."

"You're missing the point!" Nami shouted in frustration. Then she sighed. "I don't think we'll be able to lounge around in East Blue any longer."

"Well, that works out perfectly. Because I was planning on heading to the Grand Line after one last stop," Luffy said with a grin. Nami, Usopp, and Sanji looked at him curiously.

"One last stop? Where did you want to go?" Nami asked.

Luffy pointed to the horizon. "It's that island right there," he stated. They all looked to where he was pointing in surprise.

"That's…" Nami trailed off. "There's a place on that island called Loguetown."

"The town of the beginning and the end," Luffy recited from memory. Nami nodded.

"You've heard of it?"

"Yeah," he said. _From you_, he added mentally. He grinned again. "The town where the Pirate King, Gold Roger, was born and died. Where the Great Pirate Era began."

* * *

When they arrived on the coast, each of them took in the sights with varied reactions. "Well, I'm gonna go find the execution platform."

"Looks like I can find some fine ingredients here," Sanji said. _And some fine __women,__ too_.

"I'm gonna look for some equipment to buy," Usopp added.

"OK, don't get ripped off," Luffy said mockingly before taking off without any idea where he was going.

"I'd like to buy some swords, actually," Zoro said aloud.

"Oh, and how will that work, Zoro? You don't have any money, after all," she said smugly. "You know, I can loan you some…at 300% interest."

Zoro just shot her his own smug grin. "No, I think I'll be fine. Thanks, though." Nami frowned as he walked away. _Shopping without any money? What a weirdo…_

* * *

As Zoro walked through the streets, he caught wind of a familiar aura, as well as a familiar argument. "Looks like that monster isn't with you today. This works out perfectly. We'll send you back to him in pieces!"

"Can't you just let it go?" a feminine voice asked. But the pirates confronting her completely ignored her. The crowd broke out in gasps and shouts as they pulled out their swords.

"Tell that boss of yours that this is what happens when he messes with our dream of getting to the Grand Line!"

Tashigi idly wondered how they wanted her to tell him that if they were planning on sending her back to him in pieces, but pulled out her sword. The crowd watched in awe as she cut them both down in one swift motion. The crowd cheered and applauded before she stumbled and fell face first onto the ground, her glasses sliding across the pavement. One spectator commented that she was too strong for her own good as Zoro walked forward and handed her her glasses, making sure not to _break_ them this time.

In his many coincidental encounters with the Marine woman, Zoro had long since gotten over his discomfort at seeing an exact replica of the face of his childhood friend. As Tashigi thanked him politely, Zoro just nodded and walked in the opposite direction. He soon ran into a problem. He couldn't for the life of him remember which shop he had gotten those two swords from last time. Loguetown was huge. He suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, though, as a familiar feeling hit him. He turned to the direction of an arms shop off to his right and smiled. _Well,__ isn't that __convenient__?_

As he made his way over to the store and walked in, the feeling became more profound. He was in the right place for sure. "I'd like to buy two katana," he said to the familiar store clerk. The clerk rubbed his hands together in a poorly concealed gesture of greed.

"Of course, of course! Right this way, sir," he said happily. Suddenly though, he stopped as he caught sight of the sword on Zoro's hip. Zoro inwardly scoffed. _Here we go_. The man began stuttering nervously as he requested to get a good look at his sword. Zoro obliged and handed it over. The man's eyes widened as he unsheathed it before turning back to Zoro.

"Listen," he started. "I have a good eye for craftsmanship. What you've got here isn't the work of a master, but it's definitely an above average sword. What would you say to me giving you 300,000 Belly for it? If you want 3 swords that badly, then you could buy each for 100,000 without losing a single Belly."

"Nah," Zoro said blandly. It took a moment for it to register in the clerk's mind that his offer had been rejected before he started stuttering again.

"Then…how about 500,000 Belly?" he asked nervously.

"Nope."

"All right, you haggler! You've got me! I'll pay you 700,000 Belly, but that's my final offer!"

"Not for sale," Zoro said in a bored tone, although he was a little disgruntled by the presence that he felt walking into the store behind them.

"Whoa! That sword!" the voice said in enthusiasm. The clerk's face looked even more nervous now. Tashigi flipped through a book on swords and stopped on a page that had an illustration of Zoro's exact sword. "That's the _Wado Ichimonji_!" It's a famous Meito that sells for over 10,000,000 Belly! Where on earth did you get it?"

The store clerk was now visibly sulking, but he rounded on Tashigi. "Did you really have to open your mouth!? I should sue you for ruining my business!"

"Ruining your business?" Tashigi asked in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry, did I say something? It's just I've never seen one of the 21 Superior Grade Swords before."

"Don't blame her," Zoro said in annoyance. "I wasn't gonna sell it anyway." The clerk just scoffed.

"You came for your _Shigure_ right? Here, it's been polished," he said as he tossed the sword at Tashigi. Tashigi caught it, but failed to catch herself, and stumbled right into a shelf of swords, causing them to all clatter to the floor. "Why the hell did you fall that way!? Pick those up now!" the clerk yelled. Tashigi scrambled to do that as he turned back to Zoro.

"Fine, you've got a famous Meito. Enjoy it. Now find two swords and get out," he said grudgingly. Zoro rolled his eyes and walked over to a barrel of mostly cheap swords. _50,000 __Belly__ swords? __What,__ is this guy broke or something?_the clerk thought.

"You seem to really love swords," Tashigi said as she walked up to him. "You're carrying three of them after all. It reminds me of this one bounty hunter named Roronoa Zoro," she said.

"I hear the name a lot," Zoro said truthfully, before quickly pulling out the sword that had long since caught his attention. Tashigi stilled at the sight of it before pulling out her book again. "That sword…_Kitetsu III_? That should sell for at least 1,000,000 Belly. I would buy it if I were you," she said. She turned to the clerk. "Are you really selling this for 50,000 Belly?" she asked.

"Yeah…" the clerk replied reluctantly.

Tashigi quickly went into a history of the three _Kitetsu_ swords, commenting that the 1st _Kitetsu_ was one of the 12 unrivaled works of craftsmanship in the world, before the clerk changed his mind and shouted that he wouldn't sell it. Tashigi looked surprised and asked why.

"It's cursed," Zoro said simply. "I could feel it before I even walked in here."

The clerk's eyes widened._ It takes a great swordsman to recognize a cursed blade. Who is this guy?_

Zoro hummed, taking in the familiar sight and feel of the blade. "You know, I like it. Actually, I really want it," he said with a nostalgic grin.

"What!? No way! You idiot, if I sold it to you and you died, wouldn't it be like I killed you!?" he shouted. Tashigi looked shocked at this revelation, and Zoro just continued smirking.

"Let's test it out, then. If this sword doesn't accept me as its master, we'll know here and now," he said, before throwing the blade up in the air and holding his arm out.

"Idiot! Its sharpness is the real thing! You'll lose an arm!" the clerk shouted. Tashigi gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.

As the sword came down, Zoro's reflexes screamed at him to coat his arm in Armament Haki, but he ignored them and closed his eyes. The sword fell down and the blade hit his arm dead center before it fell to the ground and imbedded itself hilt deep into the floor. Zoro's audience stared in shock as he rolled his arm around in its socket. There wasn't a scratch on him. "Good sword," he said, still grinning.

The clerk fell to the ground as the tension left his body. He quickly got up and told Zoro to wait for him as he stumbled into the back of the shop. He came back with another familiar sword with a black hilt and sheath. "This is the best sword I have. It's one of the 50 Skillful Grade Swords, _Yubashiri_. Please take it free of charge, along with _Kitetsu III_."

Zoro nodded at the man gratefully. "Thank you," he said with sincerity. The man just waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. It's not every day I see a true swordsman walk in here. They say the sword chooses the swordsman. Consider this a gift."

As Zoro walked out of the shop, he couldn't help but laugh joyfully at the feeling of the three swords on his waist as well as the emptiness of his pockets. He could hardly believe he'd just pulled that off.

* * *

Luffy ran through the streets, still looking for the execution platform. He had run into Smokey and asked him for directions, but he had gotten lost again somehow. As he kept running, he was surprised to sense the familiar presence of someone who should by all rights be on his way to a prison right now. Not that he cared either way. He wondered how the guy had escaped from the Marines though. "What are you looking for?" the man asked without looking at him.

"The execution platform," Luffy replied.

"It's that way," the man said, pointing.

Luffy ran off in the direction the was pointing before yelling, "Thanks, Big Nose!" The man looked after him in shock, finally realizing who he was, and his jaw dropped.

_Fuck._

* * *

When Luffy finally arrived at the execution platform and climbed to the top, he whistled. He had seen it before, but he would never get over the symbolic value of this view. Bystanders looked up at him in annoyance and wonder before a woman walked up to the execution platform. "I've been looking for you, Straw Hat. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Luffy stared down at her. "If by _it's been a while_ you mean _we've never met before_, then sure," he said in confusion.

"Now, that's cold," the woman said. "Don't tell me you've forgotten my beautiful face," she said. Luffy was tempted to respond that he couldn't forget something that he'd never seen before, but settled for scanning her with his Observation Haki instead. He ignored the killing intent of the presences coming up behind him as his eyes widened. _Alvida? _Then it clicked. _That's right. She ate a __Devil Fruit__ that made her slim…I mean…got rid of her freckles…__yeah__, that was it. What else does it do again?_

Buggy and Cabaji jumping out behind him brought him out of his thoughts, and he sidestepped Cabaji as the acrobat attempted to trap him. Cabaji tripped over himself in surprise, and Luffy promptly kicked him in the ass, sending him flying off of the execution platform. He turned to Buggy. "A plank of wood? I feel insulted. I think you should apologize."

Buggy looked at him in outrage and started screaming bloody murder at him, but Luffy wasn't paying attention. His focus was caught by another aura that had flickered to life. It was quite simply the greatest aura he had felt since coming back to the past, and taking into account their confrontation with Mihawk, that was saying something. It would have actually made him nervous if he didn't have an idea who it was.

"…think I'm apologizing to a stupid rubber bastard like you, you've got another thing coming!" Buggy finished. Luffy turned back to him.

"Uh…sorry, did you say something?"

Buggy got ready to lunge at him, but Luffy held his hand out. "Hey, Buggy. I have an idea. Why don't I stand here and do nothing while you execute me?"

Buggy looked extremely confused now. "What."

"No, really," Luffy said. "I'll stand right here. Take that sword and cut my head off or something."

"Are you mocking me?" Buggy seethed.

"Dead serious."

"I'll kill you whether you stand there or not, you straw hat bastard!" Buggy screamed indignantly before picking up the sword.

* * *

"Over this way!" Zoro yelled as he led Nami, Usopp, and Sanji toward the execution platform.

"Slow down, Zoro!" Usopp complained. "We just met up and now you have us running all over the place? What's the problem?"

"I told you, there's a huge storm coming!" Nami yelled. "We have to get back to the ship!"

"Just keep your mouths shut and follow me!" Zoro yelled. _That aura I just felt…it was huge. This could be bad. We have to find Luffy._

They arrived at the execution platform and saw Luffy standing on top of it along with Buggy, just like last time. "What is that idiot doing?" Sanji asked. They watched in worry as Buggy reared back to swing his sword at Luffy's neck. Zoro's eyes narrowed as he realized Luffy wasn't about to dodge, block, or even use Haki to guard. What was he playing at? He was about to make a jump for the platform when the huge aura from before roared to life along with a crack of lightning that erupted from the dark clouds that had manifested in the previously clear sky. The heavens rained their cold fury down on the execution platform, and there was a large flash of light followed by a loud explosion.

Luffy picked his hat up from ground and walked past Buggy's unconscious, charred form. He looked at the stunned faces in front of him, before shouting out.

"_I am the man who will become the Pirate King!_"

His voice echoed out through the silent plaza. He walked by Buggy's crew and resisted the urge to laugh at the faces that Alvida and Cabaji were wearing. "Well, I guess that's that," he said. The crowd made way for him as he walked through to find his crewmates, who were all staring at him in wonder, except for Zoro, who just looked annoyed. "Everyone get what they needed?" he asked. At a round of weak nods, he grinned. "Then let's go."

As they ran towards the coast, Sanji turned to Zoro. "Hey, do you believe in God?"

"Nope," Zoro replied.

* * *

A lone man walked slowly through the stormy streets of Loguetown, his black cloak flowing in the wind.

_Inherited will. The destiny of the era and the dreams of __its__ people. These forces are unceasing and relentless. So long as humanity continues to pursue the true meaning of freedom, those dreams will never yield._

Another flash of lightning illuminated the man's madly grinning face. "Pirate King? Good. I expect nothing less."

* * *

The Straw Hats were still on their way back to the ship when they found their path obstructed by Tashigi, whose hair was shadowing her eyes. "So, you're Roronoa Zoro, and a pirate no less." She looked up in rage and Zoro got that old familiar feeling as thoughts of Kuina came into his mind. He hated it.

"I won't let such a magnificent blade stay in the hands of someone like you! Your _Wado Ichimonji_ shall be confiscated!"

"Just try it," Zoro said as they crossed blades. Sanji started yelling at him for attacking a woman, but that only seemed to aggravate Tashigi more and she told them to leave. Nami and Usopp were surprised that a Marine was letting them go, but didn't complain as they ran past along with Luffy.

Zoro ended the fight quickly, disarming Tashigi and ramming his sword into the wall next to her head. She stared at him in shock. Zoro wordlessly lowered his blade and walked away, which infuriated her. "Why didn't you kill me!?" she shouted. Zoro looked back at her in annoyance. "Is it because I'm a woman?" she asked. Zoro stared at her for a few seconds longer before smirking.

"Think nothing of it. When you Marines catch a pirate, regulation dictates that you have to execute them. But whether I kill someone or not is up to my mood. Remember that well." Tashigi looked shocked at his answer, actually taking a moment to consider his words, before Zoro waved his sword in a downward arc. A small whirlwind obscured him from sight, and when it died down, he was gone.

* * *

Luffy stopped as a familiar Marine captain obstructed their path once again. "Go ahead, you guys. I'll catch up with you." They looked at him uncertainly before running past the white-haired man, who let them go.

"Straw Hat Luffy, bounty of 45 million Belly. I'm afraid I can't let you go anywhere."

Luffy shot him a cocky grin. "I'm afraid you won't be able to stop me."

"I wonder about that. While I've been stationed on this island, not a single pirate that's passed by here has been able to enter the Grand Line."

Luffy actually scowled. "Well, if you weren't so busy keeping up your perfect attendance record, maybe you could have stopped Arlong from enslaving an island. As it was, I had to do your job for you."

Smoker's eyes narrowed, and Luffy could tell he had offended him. He didn't really care, though. Smoker's attitude on this pissed him off. His pride hadn't allowed him to leave Loguetown until it finally demanded that he follow the only pirate to escape him to the Grand Line. Smoker was quite simply the only Marine in East Blue that could have done much of anything against the Arlong Pirates. Not only that, but he could have crushed them singlehandedly if he wasn't so busy keeping no-name pirates out of the Grand Line. It upset Luffy to think that Nami's predicament could have been solved much earlier in the previous timeline, but wasn't.

So he honestly didn't feel that bad about the beating he was about to give his Marine rival.

Smoker lunged forward, propelled to great speeds by a trail of smoke behind him. He was clearly much faster than any opponent Luffy had gone up against since coming back. But not fast enough. Luffy ducked under the extended punch from Smoker's Logia arm and grabbed it. Smoker's eyes widened as he felt the grip on his body, which was very much tangible right now. While Mihawk had taken the concept of proficient Haki users outside the Grand Line in stride, Smoker wasn't as composed. Luffy quickly flipped him over onto his back and rammed his fist down into the man's gut. Smoker coughed up blood and his body went limp.

Luffy started to walk away, only to stop and turn back to see Smoker panting but on his feet. "You didn't think it would be that easy did you?" he asked.

"Oh, impressive," Luffy said with a small smile. He had put much more strength into that punch than anything he had thrown at Krieg or Arlong. He had almost forgotten that Smokey wasn't like most of those overconfident Logias out there. He trained his body as much as he trained his Devil Fruit.

Smoker lunged at him again after pulling out his jutte, but Luffy sidestepped him. Smoker quickly took flight in his Logia form, looking for an opening as he circled around Luffy. Not good enough.

"_**Gomu **__**Gomu no…Pistol**__**!**_" He sniped Smoker out of the air, and the man came crashing to the ground. He quickly recovered this time, and dissolved into smoke. The smoke surrounded Luffy from all sides. This was meant to make his attacks unpredictable, as his jutte could come from anywhere. But it was a double-edged sword. It also meant that Luffy could go for any part of the smoke and land a solid hit. In addition, Luffy could see his attacks coming either way.

"_**Gomu **__**Gomu**__** no…**_" The smoke closed in on him. "_**Gatling!**_" His fists rammed at the smoke in all directions, pushing it back until finally Smoker couldn't keep it up anymore. The smoke fell back and took the form of a man again. Said man was panting heavily, and was covered in blood from head to toe. He took one step toward Luffy before letting out a groan and collapsing to the ground.

Luffy walked in the direction of the ship again before he found another man standing in front of him. His eyes widened. The man's aura was suppressed to that of a civilian, but Luffy knew better.

"That was quite the display," the man said, sounding impressed. Luffy just stared at him before speaking.

"It was nothing much," he said.

"I wouldn't have guessed that you'd have come so far by now," the man continued. Luffy thought for a moment. He knew that he wouldn't be able to hide his aura. Not from this guy. So he stopped suppressing it, letting it flare. He could see the man's grin grow wider under his hood.

"There are a lot of things you wouldn't know about me, Dad." A flash of lightning illuminated the man's face once again. Dragon kept smiling, but his smile seemed to turn a bit sad at that statement.

"I'm aware," he said. "And there are a lot of things that I'd like to know." He looked towards the sky. "But they'll have to wait. The world is awaiting our answer." With that, they walked past each other, and Dragon's voice called out one last time from behind Luffy. "The winds are changing," he said cryptically. "Once you board your ship, you'll have a tailwind toward the southwest. It will take you to Reverse Mountain." Luffy kept walking, but let a small smile grace his lips. _Well, he's not making any negative progress_.

* * *

When Luffy finally arrived at the ship, he took note of the bloody, beaten form of Mohji and his lion on the ground. It looked like Sanji's handiwork…or rather, footwork. Zoro had already arrived and was yelling for him to hurry up. They all quickly boarded and raised anchor.

After they set sail, Nami commented that they had a promising tailwind, and Sanji brought a barrel out to the middle of the deck. "This calls for a celebration," he said.

"To become Pirate King!" Luffy said.

"To become the World's Greatest Swordsman," Zoro recited.

"To find All Blue," Sanji said with a smile.

"To draw a world map," Nami said with enthusiasm.

"To become a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp said despite his trembles. They cracked open the barrel as their ship sailed on through rough waters towards the Light of Guidance.

"_To the Grand Line!_"

* * *

A/N: And that concludes the East Blue saga! As always, leave some reviews and tell me what you thought. Lost out.


	14. From Mystery Whale to Sake Summit

So, I'd like to take some time to thank those that have reviewed, favorited, and followed thus far. After a little over a week I'm up to 100 follows, which I'm pretty happy about despite it not being much in the grand scheme of things when you compare it to some other stories on here (Did you know there are stories on this site with over 12,000 reviews?)

I started writing this story in order to 1.) entertain my passion for One Piece and 2.) exercise my writing skills as well as improve them. I'm an English major at Umass Amherst (and I will grudgingly divulge this information despite also revealing that I am not Oda in the process), and spending a couple hours on this story every day while keeping my other daily activities balanced is slightly difficult, but I have to say that the responses I've gotten to this story so far have made it pretty worthwhile. It's good to know that people like my shit (don't interpret this phrase literally).

Some people have rising concerns in regards to how the plot of this story will progress, which is understandable, but I don't really want to put them at ease _completely _because I'd just be handing out spoilers if I did. But rest assured that I have quite a bit of stuff planned out right now (at least in my head) and will take your suggestions into account, even if I can't necessarily satisfy everybody.

I will address one concern though: to those that are worried that the plot will be too much like canon, I will say right now that this story will follow the order of the canon arcs until a time when I feel that that setup wouldn't make sense anymore. I have an idea of when this will be, but it is a long ways off, so if you are looking for a story that's all over the place and doesn't follow the general plot of One Piece or use it as a guideline (and I will admit that this kind of story takes a lot of skill to craft), that's not really the story I'm planning to write...for now. Anyway, enjoy the first official Grand Line chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own any shit that's not mine. Is saying I don't own something that's not mine redundant? Yeah, I guess it is. Whatever. I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XIV: From Mystery Whale to Sake Summit

On a certain island in the Grand Line, numerous pirates camped out lazily in a dark forest. The officers of the pirate crew all looked up as one of their crewmembers came running frantically. "Captain!" he shouted fearfully. The man he was addressing handed him a drink as he ran up, and the frantic man quickly chugged it before continuing. "Captain! Ha-Haw-Hawk-Eye—" the man froze as he felt a looming presence behind him, and quickly dashed off to the side.

"You sure are complacent, camping out on an island such as this," the intruder said calmly.

The pirate captain looked up at the man, fighting off a persistent headache. "Yo, Hawk-Eye. I'm not feeling well today. You come for a duel?"

"I have lost interest in dueling with a one armed man such as yourself." Mihawk said. "I merely came here to tell you of some very interesting pirates I met. They reminded me of a story you once told me, about an interesting little kid in an unassuming village." He pulled out two wanted posters.

"Is that…?" Yasopp trailed off.

"No way…" Lucky Roo said.

Red-Haired Shanks stared down at the wanted posters in his hand before he looked up, a mad grin etched across his face. "So, you've finally come, Luffy."

* * *

The storm continued as the Going Merry took full advantage of the wind and shot towards the southwest. Nami was looking down at the Grand Line map they'd acquired in Orange Town with a troubled expression. "This doesn't make sense. I thought the rumors were just that, but according to this map, they're completely true."

"Rumors?" Luffy asked. "Oh, you mean about the mystery mountain."

"Sure," Nami replied, not really paying attention as she tried to puzzle out their next course of action. She called everyone inside for a meeting about what to do next, and when everyone gathered around, she set the map down on the table. "So apparently, the entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain," she began.

"A mountain?" Usopp asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Exactly," she said. "I didn't believe it myself at first, but all signs point to the intersection of the Grand Line and the Red Line as the entrance. It's called Reverse Mountain.

"So, what? Is there a cave that we have to go through? Do we just ride the currents?" Sanji asked.

"You're partially right," Nami said. "There is a current, but it's supposed to take us up the mountain." Usopp looked at her skeptically.

"How is our ship supposed to climb a mountain?" he asked, trying not to sound disbelieving.

"Because it's a mystery mountain," Luffy said with conviction.

"But why can't we just enter directly from the South?" Usopp asked.

"Technically we could," Zoro cut in, "But there are certain reasons why we should go through the entrance."

Nami shook her head. "The entrance is the only way. Otherwise anyone could go to the Grand Line. Most people who try don't even make it there."

"Oh, that's right," Sanji said. "I heard entering the Grand Line was really dangerous, but entering through the Calm Belt is almost impossible."

"Well, in that case, you better adjust our course to the west, because the storm we're in is about to end," Luffy commented, looking out the window. Nami's eyes widened in horror and she frantically started turning their ship towards the west. When she got back, she was sweating nervously.

"That was close. We almost went into the Calm Belt," she said.

"What's the Calm Belt?" Usopp asked.

"The Calm Belts are two strips of sea that surround the Grand Line. There's never any wind, so if you go there, you're stuck. It's also a nesting place for some of the world's largest sea kings, which makes it impossible to cross. That's why not just anyone can enter the Grand Line."

Zoro just smirked. "Well, we're not just anyone." He gestured to Luffy. "When are you gonna learn not to underestimate our captain?" Nami turned questioningly to Luffy, who scratched his head.

"I guess I could get a sea king to give us a ride," he said nonchalantly. Several eyes widened at this.

"And how would you do that exactly?" Sanji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, that's right, you weren't there when Luffy explained it," Zoro said. "Basically, 1 in a million people in the world can awaken an ability called Conqueror's Haki. It allows you to challenge other sentient beings to a clash of wills, and the being with the stronger will wins. Usually this ends in the Conqueror winning, but strong willed people and even some other intelligent creatures can resist the power. Luffy is an awakened Conqueror, so taming sea kings isn't out of the question."

The Straw Hats all seemed equally taken aback by this information. Sanji, to his credit, took the explanation without blinking until the mention of taming sea kings. "But like Zoro said, there's a reason why we need to go through the entrance," Luffy said. They all looked at him curiously. He pointed at them, as if in reprimand.

"Listen up! We have to go through the mystery mountain because it's cooler that way!" Nami and Usopp face faulted, and even Sanji lost his composure at that.

"Well, there's that too," Zoro said. "But we also have to keep our pride intact. It wouldn't look good if our crew took the easy way in."

Nami was starting to get annoyed. "All right," she said. "Can you guys think of one _logical_ reason why we should enter through the front?"

"We just gave you two!" Luffy protested. At the menacing look on her face, he went on, "But if you must know, normal means of navigation don't work in the Grand Line. If we entered through the Calm Belt, we'd just be stranded in the middle of the sea without a Log Pose."

"Log Pose?" Nami asked curiously.

"It's the special type of compass used in the Grand Line." He pointed at the compass in Nami's hand. "That won't work in the sea we're going to. It'll just spin around randomly."

Nami looked extremely disconcerted at this. "So, then, how is a Log Pose any different? If a normal compass can't lock onto the earth's magnetic field, how will a special compass do it?"

"Ah, well you see…" Luffy paused. "Basically the way it works is…" Another pause. "It's a mystery compass." Nami's patience was being pushed to the limits now, but she sighed and let it go.

"Well, I'd rather not ride on a sea king to be honest. So, we can get this _mystery compass_ if we go through Reverse Mountain?" Luffy nodded, and Nami's eyes narrowed. "How do you know so much about this?" she asked suspiciously. Luffy blinked.

"Ah, that's simple," he answered, before raising his fists to his waist. "I'm going to be the Pirate King!" There was a loud crash as Nami's fist connected with Luffy's face, sending him bouncing off a wall and back into a seated position in front of her. Luffy looked at her in surprise.

"What? Got something to say?" she growled. Luffy just continued to stare at her. After about 10 seconds, a giggle escaped him. Then that giggle turned into a loud snort, followed by a full on fit of hysterical laughter. Nami looked annoyed, Usopp looked confused, Sanji looked infatuated, and Zoro, unbeknownst to the other three, just gave a small smile.

* * *

It was a little while longer before Luffy's voice caught everyone's attention. "There it is! Mystery mountain, dead ahead!" Everyone looked at the scene in front of them in awe. Sanji whistled. Even Zoro looked impressed. He'd only seen the sight twice before.

"It's huge! I can't even see the top past the clouds," Usopp commented.

"All right, everyone, that current is the entrance to Reverse Mountain!" Nami yelled over the rushing waters.

"The sea is really flowing up the mountain," Sanji noted calmly.

"Use the rudder to turn us toward the current," Zoro instructed. "Once you feel resistance, stop pulling. Otherwise, it'll just break."

"But then how will we keep ourselves from crashing?" Usopp asked nervously.

"We'll take care of it," Luffy said. He rolled his arm in his sockets as he walked towards the ship's railing along with Zoro.

Usopp and Sanji rushed to do as they were instructed, directing them as close as they could to the narrow path before the resistance became too much. Usopp and Nami looked on nervously as the ship headed towards the corner of the entrance. They would crash at this rate.

"_**One Sword Style…360 Caliber Phoenix**__**!**_" Zoro shot a wind cannon at the wall they were heading towards, and the ship immediately turned toward the mountain before veering off a little to the left. A blunt Rankyaku from Luffy brought it back dead center, and the current started pulling them up the mountain faster and faster. The Straw Hat Pirates took in the once in a lifetime experience (or in Luffy and Zoro's case, twice in two lifetimes) before they finally reached the top and peered down at the clouds below. "Luffy, you feel that?" Zoro asked. Luffy nodded at the presence they both felt. It could really only be one thing.

"Grand Line, dead ahead!" Luffy shouted. The current started bringing them down at speeds faster than then they had endured on the ride up, and soon, a loud, deep, unidentified sound reached their ears.

"What was that?" Nami asked. "The wind?"

"Get ready," Zoro said.

"R-ready? For w-what?" Usopp stuttered.

"Hey, there's a mountain in the way!" Sanji yelled. "I don't think that's supposed to be there!" They looked toward the coming disaster with wide eyes.

"That's no mountain," Luffy said calmly. "It's a whale."

"It's too big to be a whale!" Nami insisted.

"Doesn't matter what it is. We're gonna crash into it!" Sanji shouted.

"Zoro," Luffy called. Zoro nodded and walked towards the front of the ship.

"_**360 Caliber Phoenix**__**!**_" he yelled as he let off another wind blast. He made it duller and more spread out this time so as to not hurt Laboon. The wind caused the Going Merry to come to a stop in front of the whale as the current ended. For a moment, all was calm as the Straw Hats looked on with trepidation. Soon, it became clear that the whale hadn't noticed them. Good. Now they just had to get out of here without drawing any attention to themselves…

"Whaaaaaale!"

Or not.

"Heeeeyy! Whaaale! Down here whale!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs as he jumped and waved his hands in the air.

"Are you trying to kill us!?" Nami and Usopp shouted as he continued to try to catch the attention of the mountain-sized creature that could sink their ship quite easily. "Cut that out!"

Luffy stopped shouting and pouted. A few seconds passed before the whale's gargantuan eye shifted and landed on them. "_It sees us!_" The whale opened its mouth and started sucking water in. Their ship started to go with it. Nami and Usopp cried hysterically, Sanji offered to hold Nami in his arms, Zoro yawned tiredly, and Luffy laughed mirthfully, not even bothering to hold on to anything, before the wind from the suction launched him from the boat. It wasn't long before the rest of the crew was sucked inside the whale's mouth along with the Going Merry. The whale closed its mouth, and the world went dark.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Usopp asked.

"I think we were eaten by a whale," Sanji answered.

"Yeah, definitely eaten by a whale," Usopp confirmed.

"So, then…what is this place?" They all took in the scenery, from the innocent looking sea and the clear sky above to the small island in front of them.

"Is it a dream?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah, must be a dream," Usopp answered.

"So, then, that's a dream island," Sanji nodded towards the island.

"Yep, dream island," Usopp replied. Suddenly, a giant squid rose out of the water, threatening to capsize their ship.

"Dream squid?" Sanji speculated.

"Dream squid," Usopp confirmed.

…

"_Dream squid!_" Usopp screamed, as Sanji got ready to take preemptive action against the creature. Before he could jump up to kick it though, a trio of harpoons shot through its head, and it fell back into the water. The Straw Hats looked at the new arrival in apprehension. His gaze seemed to tear through their eyes to their very minds. He continued staring at them menacingly for about 10 seconds before Sanji got frustrated.

"Aren't you gonna say something!?" he shouted. The man just continued staring at them wordlessly.

"What, y-you wanna fight old man?" Usopp stuttered. "We have a cannon! Don't make us shoot you!"

The man's gaze intensified. "Don't, or someone will die," he said quietly. Usopp shrieked.

"Oh, yeah? And who would that be?" Sanji asked challengingly. The man's intense gaze shifted to him before he answered.

"Me."

"The fuck!?" Sanji shouted. "Bastard, messing with me," he grumbled as he walked forward. Zoro held him back, and then called out.

"Hey, who are you anyway? Are we inside the whale right now?" The other three looked at him as if he was insane. How could they be inside the whale?

The man's gaze shifted to Zoro. "Before you ask another's name, it is common courtesy to introduce yourself first," he responded.

"Oh, right," Zoro said. "Well, I'm—"

"My name is Crocus," the man interrupted. "I am the watchman of the lighthouse to the Grand Line. I am 71 years old and my sign is Pisces. My blood type is—"

"Hey, can I kill him now?" Sanji asked as the man continued, the information getting less and less relevant.

"He still hasn't told us where we are," Usopp said.

"Like I said, we're in the whale's stomach," Zoro said. "That sky is a painting." Their eyes squinted as they took a closer look. Now that he mentioned it, the seagulls weren't even moving…

"Why is there a painting of the sky inside a whale's stomach?" Usopp asked.

"I get bored," Crocus said simply.

"Well, how can we get out of here?" Sanji asked, finally getting to the point.

"The exit's over there," Crocus said, pointing at a large, barred metal door.

"There's an exit!?" Nami shouted.

"Actually, there are two, but I suspect that you'll find this one preferable," Crocus said.

"So, what, do you live here or something?" Usopp asked curiously. "Does that make you some kind of whale hermit?" Crocus' gaze intensified again, threatening to pierce through into Usopp's soul. "Stop doing that!" Usopp shouted. The man started to pout.

"You just don't appreciate a good running gag, do you?" he asked.

"Your gag is tripping over itself in its attempt to keep running," Sanji commented.

"At least I have a gag," Crocus retorted.

"I'll gag you both if you don't shut up soon," Zoro said in an annoyed tone. It was then that the entire sea they were in seemed to start swaying, and they had to hold on so as to not fall into the whale's…stomach acid. Nami shuddered at the thought. Usopp asked what was going on, and Crocus explained that the whale was bashing its head against the Red Line in an attempt to break through. Suddenly, there was a crash coming from above, and Luffy started falling from the sky along with two strangers that he was carrying for some reason. He took a few steps through the air before he landed on the Going Merry and set the two down.

"Hey, what's up guys?" he asked.

"How did you get here!?" Usopp and Nami shouted.

"I used Geppo to reach the top of the whale. There was a latch at the top that led here," Luffy answered.

"This sure is a strange whale," Usopp commented. "Come to think of it, why is there light in here? Shouldn't it be complete darkness inside a whale's stomach?"

"It's a mystery whale," Luffy concluded with his arms crossed.

"What is Geppo?" Nami asked.

"Basically, it lets me fly." It was then that the two strangers he brought down with him jumped to their feet, declaring that they were here to kill the whale and use it as food for their town. They pulled out two bazookas, and Crocus looked like he was getting ready for a fight, before Luffy punched them both and knocked them out cold.

Crocus suddenly disappeared and after a while the sea stopped swaying, so they were able to get out to the open sea through the exit. Crocus came and met them out there.

"Hey, Crocus," Sanji began. "Why does this whale hit its head against the Red Line? It must know that it can never get through that way."

Crocus took on a sad expression as he looked up toward the whale. He explained the whale's past and it's promise with the pirate crew that brought it here. He went on to say that it had been 50 years since then, and that the crew was either dead or not coming back. Luffy wanted to disagree as he thought of Brook, but didn't say anything. Once Crocus finished his explanation, Luffy looked up at Laboon with a determined expression.

He shot off the ship using Geppo until he was hovering directly over Laboon's head. "_**Gomu **__**Gomu no…Rifle**_!" His spinning fist rammed into one of the scars on Laboon's head, and the whale cried out in pain. He quickly became hostile and rammed his head against Luffy, who flew back into the Red Line with a loud crash. Luffy quickly rebounded and continued his assault. "_**Gomu **__**Gomu no…Pistol**__**!**_" He hit Laboon's eye dead center, and the whale got angrier, attempting to ram him again, but Luffy dodged, jumping up high into the atmosphere before landing back on the mountain.

The whale started to come in for another headbutt, but Luffy held his hand out. "Enough," he said. The whale surprisingly stopped, looking at him in confusion. "It's a draw," Luffy said. Then he smiled. "I'm pretty strong right? I'll bet you'd like to fight again. We have to know who's stronger after all." Laboon continued staring at him curiously. Luffy pointed at him. "Three years! Wait here for us for three years, and by then we'll have sailed around the world and come back to see you." Luffy's grin widened. "I'll even bring one of your crewmates so they can see you too!"

At these words, Laboon raised his head to the heavens and let out a loud cry of agreement. Luffy quickly scribbled a poorly drawn mark of the Straw Hat Pirates on his head. "All right, this mark symbolizes the promise between us. Until we return, don't do anything to ruin this mark." The whale nodded to convey that it understood. With that taken care of, Luffy jumped back onto the Going Merry, where Nami was talking to Crocus about a Log Pose.

"So, it's a compass that records the unique magnetic field of a specific island and points in that direction?" she asked eagerly.

"That's correct. And in appreciation of what you've done," he said as he gestured to Luffy, "I think I'll just give you one so you can start your journey." While Nami was thanking Crocus for the trouble, the two strangers that Luffy had knocked out suddenly woke up. They quickly took off in their ship, yelling that they had to get back to Whiskey Peak, but that they'd succeed next time.

"Well, that's quite the coincidence," Crocus said as after they left. "This Log Pose happens to be locked onto the same island they're going to." Nami took it and handled it carefully, scanning it with curious eyes. _So, this is what we'll be using to navigate from now on_.

"Great! Then we can start there," Luffy said happily. "At that, uh, Sake Summit place."

"Whiskey Peak," Crocus corrected.

"Yeah, that." With their next destination decided, the Straw Hats set off for their first island of the Grand Line. "Remember our promise, whale!" Luffy shouted as they set off. Laboon let out a loud cry as the ship pulled away from the Red Line.

* * *

A/N: There wasn't much I could have changed from canon here, so I basically turned it into a comic relief chapter. Hope you liked it.


	15. Nightmare Training

So, just a quick heads up: In the One Piece manga, Oda doesn't go into the time the Straw Hats spend at sea in nearly as much detail as the time spent on islands. All of the major arcs happen when they reach an island. I won't change this, per se, but I will often be describing what happens during that time in greater depth. They're pirates, you know? A lot of their time is spent at sea, and I see no reason to ignore that once they enter the Grand Line. Call it filler if you will. I most likely won't be adding any arcs at sea, but I'll try to keep it interesting.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Thank God for that. It's hard to capture the pure badassery of characters like Luffy and Zoro in stick figures. Just imagine it. One Piece drawn in stick figures. And I can guarantee that my fishmen wouldn't look much better than Luffy's. Aren't you glad that I don't own One Piece?

* * *

Chapter XV: Nightmare Training

_Luffy fell to his knees in exhaustion. His lungs struggled to decide between the pain that Luffy's heavy breathing brought upon them with every intake and the pain of continued oxygen deprivation should Luffy ease up on his inhales. His entire body was lead. He stared down at the unanimated form of Marshall D. Teach in shame. He'd killed him. He had crushed the life out of the man's body with his own two hands. He'd killed him. He shook himself out of his shock. He'd had no choice. The bastard would have healed again unless he ended it. He had no choice…_

_Luffy coughed up a clump of blood, and a wave of searing pain shot through his lungs again. Blackbeard had been a monster. With Marco's __Mythical__Zoan__ added to old man Whitebeard's __Paramecia__ and his own __Logia__, he just seemed so unbeatable. But here he lay, brought to death by his own ineptitude as a __Haki__ user. The fight between the 1st division commander of the __Whitebeard Pirates__ and the former member of the 2nd division had been close. But close wasn't good enough. Marco's death that day didn't just signify the loss of friends and allies for Luffy. It had signified the sway of an era for the world. What would have happened if Marco had won that fight and the rest of the Whitebeard\ hadn't been crushed? One could only speculate._

_Zoro and Sanji ran up to him in a rush. "Luffy, we have to get out of here!" Sanji shouted. "They're coming, it's an ambush! We have to move!"_

_But he couldn't. He couldn't move. Even if he could, he felt as if the slightest movement would kill him. He should __have been used to the feeling by__ now. But every other time he had felt it, they had been safe. In the __past,__ when he finally dropped to his knees and his mass produce of adrenaline ran dry, his complete and utter exhaustion was always accompanied by a sense of sweet relief at having accomplished his task. Now, the only emotion he felt was dread._

_The admirals of __Marine Headquarters__ were coming. They'd been waiting them out, and now they were coming. And there were three of them. Two admirals and the fleet admiral himself. Three fucking admirals would be a commitment if they were fresh. As they were now…their dread wasn't unfounded. But they couldn't stop now. They were so close. They had to make it out._

_I couldn't help them._

_The battle that ensued on the sea leading up to last island of the New World changed everything. It was truly the turning point of an era. It just wasn't what the __Straw Hats__ had had in mind when they'd thought about it. Akainu, Kizaru, and Ryokugyu were relentless. They tried to escape on the ship at first with a Coup de Burst, but the admirals would have none of it. They soon found themselves far too preoccupied with staying alive to even think about escaping, their only choice being to fight. Zoro and Sanji would have actually had the latter two admirals at disadvantages despite their own fatigue if they weren't constantly distracted by the peril that the other __Straw Hats__ were in._

_I couldn't protect them._

_Luffy tried to fight Akainu. He really did. But his body was running on…no, he didn't even know what it was running on anymore. He didn't even know how he was still standing, much less attempting to ward off volcanic eruptions. He could barely feel the burns anymore. His body was numb. His senses were numb. And as the battle continued, his spirit numbed as well._

_I couldn't save them._

_Six times Zoro and Sanji lost their heads and attempted to ditch their fights in favor of running to the side of a fallen comrade, and six times they were rewarded with pierced organs and crushed bones. Six times Luffy lacked the strength to even let out an agonized wail. Chopper was the first to fall, his desperate rumble having left him defenseless. Usopp was next, and then Nami, Robin, Brook, and Franky all followed. After half an hour, six were left standing._

_Zoro and Sanji locked eyes, and a long conversation seemed to pass between them in a few seconds as Zoro's expression changed from desperation, to fury, to agony, and finally settled on resigned acceptance. Luffy could no longer resist enough to refute the plan the two had forced upon him. Sanji held the fort against two winded admirals and one fresh one as Zoro grabbed Luffy and fired off one last wind slash as he fled._

_The admirals dodged, mindlessly jumping off the small, restricted space of the Sunny's deck, and Sanji quickly followed. The __Marine__ warship that Ryokugyu attempted to land on was fried by Sanji's explosive kick, and after one last charge in the name of Mindless Justice, the __Devil Fruit__ user was kicked into the sea. Akainu and Kizaru lost their heads for a split second, and that was the deciding factor. They charged Sanji, knowing they couldn't recover their comrade without losing this fight themselves. Whatever mobility their __Devil Fruits__ allowed them couldn't compare to Sanji's __Sky Walk__, and he relentlessly kept them at bay despite the damage his body was taking from the laser and magma blasts. "Live on, Luffy! If you ever gave a shit about any of us, you'll live on!" Luffy's eyes were forced closed by the weights of his exhaustion, and in that moment, his entire world was the dimming aura of his crewmate in his last act of martyrdom. The Thousand Sunny shot off into the atmosphere with a Coup de Burst, and Luffy knew no more._

_I let them die_.

* * *

Luffy woke up in a cold sweat and immediately shot upright in his bed. It took his brain a moment to process the concept of a nightmare and another to convince himself that the flashback had been just that. The dreams were always so vivid. Even the pain that his mind invented didn't wake him up. He raised his hand over bloodshot eyes and slowly climbed out of bed. Taking a deep breath, he walked out the door and onto the deck of the Going Merry. He spotted Zoro leaning over the railing, green hair following the path of the cold night wind. Luffy walked up beside him and stared out over the sea, still trying to get the images out of his head.

"Couldn't sleep?" Zoro asked. Luffy shook his head. "Which one of them was it this time?"

"All of them," he replied. Zoro was silent for a minute.

"It won't happen again. We're here for a reason," Zoro reminded him. That reminder alone seemed to give Luffy strength, and he nodded. For a long while, they silently looked out over the dark waters, leaving each other to their thoughts.

Luffy finally spoke up. "Hey, Zoro? How strong do you think you are right now?"

Zoro thought for a moment. "A little stronger than I was after our two years of training, I guess," he answered. "How about you?"

"About the same," Luffy replied honestly.

They were thinking the same thing, but Zoro voiced it. "We really need to get into shape," he said.

"Not just us," Luffy replied. Zoro shot him a curious look.

"Tomorrow, we start Haki training with the rest of the crew," he said. Zoro blinked.

"Already?"

"The sooner the better."

An excited grin made it's way onto Zoro face. "Sounds like fun."

Luffy smiled despite the lingering tension in his mind and body. "Go easy on them," he said as he turned and walked away.

"No promises."

* * *

Nami, Usopp, and Sanji stared at Luffy and Zoro in confusion. "Haki?" Usopp repeated. "Those techniques that you use? Can we really learn those Luffy?"

Luffy nodded. "Zoro has mastered them too. There are three types of Haki. One is Conqueror's, which isn't an option for you guys unless I've completely missed something, but anyone can learn the other two. I'll demonstrate those now. Which of you wants to volunteer?"

Nami and Usopp both turned to Sanji, who shrugged and walked up to Luffy. Luffy turned around so that his back was facing Sanji. "Try to kick me. As many times as you want."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. _Is this dipshit serious?_

"Yes, Sanji, I'm serious. And I'm not a dipshit. Not unless I want to be."

Sanji blinked in surprise. _Did he just__—_

"Read my mind?" Luffy finished. "Not exactly. If you want an explanation, you better start kicking." Sanji, who was extremely curious now, started doing just that. He started with one swift kick, expecting Luffy to get shot overboard, but Luffy swayed out of the way of his kick, coming back to his initial position once Sanji brought his foot back. Sanji frowned, and then kicked three more times. Three more times Luffy dodged. A tic developed over Sanji's eye. He attempted to sweep Luffy's legs only for Luffy to jump over his foot, and then launched into a full on barrage of kicks, which were all dodged as well. Finally, he stopped.

"This game sucks," he said plainly.

"It's no game," Luffy said, turning around. "That was Observation Haki. It allows you to sense a living being's aura as it radiates off of them. The most obvious use of this skill is that you can sense where people are, and the most practical use is arguably that you can predict what a person is going to do next in a fight before they even start doing it. But those are just the most basic uses. Once you get really good, you can sense things like the type of being, its strength, and its emotions. With full mastery, you can even hear individual thoughts as they go through someone's mind if you focus hard enough."

The Straw Hats were silent as they took in this information. Sanji himself was getting kind of excited thinking about the potential of such a skill. "So, you really were reading my mind earlier?" Sanji asked in amazement.

Luffy shook his head. "It's not really reading your mind. I can't tell what you were thinking a minute ago, just what you're thinking when I listen in. And even then, it's a much more vague feeling than that. It's not as if I'm hearing what you're thinking. It's more like I'm feeling what your emotions are with extreme precision. People who train in Observation Haki, along with training to suppress their auras so that they're more difficult to keep track of, usually train to control their emotions so that it's harder to know what they're thinking. I'm not much good at that, though. But anyway, that's Observation Haki. Next." Luffy pointed to his forehead with his thumb. "Kick me in the head as hard as you can. I won't move this time." Sanji didn't question it this time, his curiosity getting the better of him, and he spun around on his palm for momentum before kicking Luffy's head full on with a _Concasse_. Luffy didn't budge. Sanji grimaced and got up.

"How'd it feel?" Luffy asked.

"Like I was kicking a steel wall. Hurt like hell," Sanji replied.

"Right. That's Armament Haki," Zoro cut in. "It allows one to coat a body part in an invisible suit of armor to strengthen both attack and defense. Unlike Observation Haki, which is pure mental training, this is half mental and half physical. Your mind and body have to be in synch for it to work. Doubt is your worst enemy. Even a true master of Armament Haki can lose to a novice at it if he's hesitating. Unlike Conqueror's Haki, which is fully powered by one's will, Armament is a power that's fueled partially by will and partially by bodily training. Once you get good at it, you can imbue weapons and other objects with it, and with enough mastery, you can use armament hardening."

Luffy brought his arm up at his side, and the Straw Hats watched as it darkened to a shiny obsidian black. "That lets you harden the entire mass of a body part or weapon rather than just coating it, making it preferable in some situations. If you're using Haki on something extremely large, like a giant inflatable limb, go with hardening if you can." Luffy almost laughed as Nami, Usopp, and Sanji looked at Zoro like he was an idiot.

"Usually for strengthening solid objects, hardening is the best choice. It's not an option when strengthening non-solid or immaterial attacks though." Zoro turned back to Luffy, who was thoroughly impressed. Zoro was good at explaining the stuff that Luffy had ingrained without really thinking about it. "Did I miss anything?"

"Devil Fruit defenses," Luffy stated, and Zoro nodded, giving him the floor. "Sometimes you'll run into Devil Fruit users who can change the nature of their very bodies. Sanji, you might kick someone only for your leg to go right through them and burn in the process when they turn into fire itself. Armament Haki allows you to bypass Devil Fruit defenses and attack the dormant human body. I'm actually a pretty good example. When Nami masters Armament Haki, I'll be in deep shit." Usopp snickered at this while Nami looked at him indignantly.

"So, that's Haki," Luffy finished. "During our journey, Zoro and I will be teaching it to you guys so you can learn it early. If you master it soon, it will be a huge advantage in the early stages, but once we get further into the Grand Line, it will be an absolute must. Most people who enter the second half of the Grand Line and survive either know Haki or learn it sink or swim. Most people specialize in one of the two types."

"Um, Luffy," Nami began hesitantly, "is there any reason why you're teaching this to _all _of us?" Luffy smiled at her reassuringly.

"If you're worried that you don't have what it takes, don't be. I've seen what you guys are made of firsthand. You can do it." Nami smiled softly back at him after hearing this. "But as for the reason, I won't lie to you. Our journey is going to get dangerous. There will come a time when every member of our crew will need to be able to defend themselves against powerful opponents. I can't be everywhere." Nami and Usopp's eyes widened at this revelation, and they both adopted focused expressions.

"So, then, when do we start?" Sanji asked.

Luffy thought he detected a hint of eagerness in his voice. He grinned. "Now."

* * *

It was an interesting training session. Nami checked the Log Pose every now and then, but most of their time was dedicated to getting the concepts down. Basic Observation Haki training involved putting on a blindfold and trying to move out of the way of an approaching object. Luffy decided to get creative and have them play tag with each other with blindfolds on. That was the most hilarious disaster he'd ever had the pleasure of directly causing. By the time Zoro called for them to stop, they were all pretty pissed off. Especially Nami.

Armament Haki training usually involved taking blows from a sparring partner head on without dodging until you build up a resistance to them, but Sanji would never agree to Zoro hitting Nami, so they basically set up training dummies and had the three punch them with their bare hands. Eventually their fists would build up a resistance to the hard material…eventually.

By the end of the day they were all mentally exhausted, the result being…absolutely nothing. But Luffy had expected that. No one had a breakthrough on his or her first day of training. It simply didn't happen, unless the power was already awakened on the battlefield.

"Good first day, everyone," Luffy commented. "And don't be discouraged. I felt like I was making zero progress when I first started, but this practice will pay off soon enough." He smiled cheerfully and he walked away along with Zoro, leaving the three in an exhausted heap on the deck of the ship.

* * *

Luffy frantically jumped behind his cover, analyzing his surroundings and options at speeds that made his brain want to go on strike. He could jump out and try to land a hit before he was hit himself, but he knew his opponent would be waiting for him. That was asking for trouble. He considered his other options. Armament Haki would do him no good. If he took one more hit he was done. Using his Devil Fruit was out of the question right now, so he couldn't even stretch. What did he have left? A plan quickly formed in his mind and he smiled vindictively. _I've got you now. _He only had one shot at this. His opponent was in almost as bad a shape as he was in right now. He would have to slow him down long enough to land the first hit.

He rose up from behind his cover, and saw the sign of his opponent's assault, the tensing of his arm muscles. He quickly let out a burst of Conqueror's Haki. It wouldn't be enough to stop him, but it would slow him down long enough for him to dodge and end this. His opponent faltered, and Luffy sidestepped the threatening projectile that came a second too late. He coated his own weapon of choice in Armament Haki and hurled it at his opponent. Only the man's face was visible over his cover, but the hardened projectile shot straight through his defense and hit him right in the chest, stunning him long enough for Luffy to get two more shots to his face. The man's eyes widened as he realized it was over.

"Hah! Take that!" Luffy shouted. "That's 10-9 Usopp. You lose!" Usopp stood up and pointed accusingly at him.

"You cheated, you bastard! You used that Conqueror whatever thing on me!" he shouted indignantly.

"Oh, come on, Usopp," Luffy said in annoyance. "You banned me from using Soru, Geppo, Observation Haki, and my Devil Fruit. You have to give me something to work with here."

"Do I look like I have any of those things at my disposal?" Usopp grumbled. Luffy and Usopp's snowman making contest had quickly led to a snowman vandalizing contest, which in turn had escalated to an all out snowball fight in which Usopp had the advantage due to his higher ground, sniping skills, and discipline to save up his ammo rather than randomly chucking snow all over the place and yelling Snow Gatling like Luffy. "I still say you cheated," Usopp complained. "Best two out of three."

"You're on! I'll beat you three out of four if I have to!" Luffy yelled.

"You mean three out of five," Usopp corrected.

"Oh, yeah? Well, guess what?

"What?" Usopp asked lazily.

Nami watched from inside the ship in exasperation as Luffy tackled Usopp into a pile of snow. "How can those two have so much energy in this weather? Hell, how can the weather even be like this? It was sunny 10 minutes ago." Suddenly a large hunk of snow hit the window, rattling it and startling her. Annoyed, she opened the door. "If you two have time to play in the snow, why don't you make yourselves useful?

"Oh, yeah? Well, what about you?" Luffy said with a pout. "Shouldn't you be checking the Log Pose?"

"I checked it two minutes ago!" Nami yelled.

"A lot can happen in two minutes," Luffy replied. "Usopp just lost his 2 point lead in two seconds. Something like our ship getting turned around isn't anywhere near as miraculous as that." Nami looked at him as if he was an idiot and walked back inside to check the Log Pose before shrieking.

"Turn our ship around 180 degrees! We're going the wrong way!" Usopp looked at her skeptically, but Sanji just shrugged and obliged. "How did that even happen? The waves have been completely steady. For our ship to get turned around like that…"

"The Grand Line sure is interesting," Luffy commented. As if to challenge his nonchalance, the wind suddenly picked up, and a storm seemed to brew out of nowhere. Nami quickly took command and the crew took action, closing the sails and constantly changing their course to account for the supernatural waves that seemed to throw them off at every turn.

"Iceberg, dead ahead!" Usopp shouted.

"I got it! _**Gomu **__**Gomu no Pistol**_!" Luffy's punch shattered the iceberg and the ship sailed through without a scratch, only to be taken off course again. After moving the rudder a few more times and then supervising it to make sure their course was steady, they finally unfurled the sails again. The storm left as spontaneously as it had come, and all but Luffy and Zoro collapsed to the deck, Luffy having laughed through it all, and Zoro having slept through it all despite Nami's several shouts for him to wake the hell up. Finally, he yawned tiredly and opened his eyes. He took a look around and frowned.

"What, sleeping on the job? Look alive, guys." Nami slowly turned her head towards the hypocritical and borderline narcoleptic swordsman and stomped her way over to him. There was a large splash behind the Going Merry.

"Man overboard!" Usopp shrieked, and Luffy started laughing again. Zoro climbed back onto the ship as Nami stomped away angrily.

"What's her problem? She eat some bad meat or something?" he asked, yawning again.

"Impossible. No such thing," Luffy said firmly.

"Land ho!" Usopp's shout brought everyone to the front of the ship, where they all stared out over the horizon at their stop in the Grand Line.

Luffy grinned in excitement. "This is gonna be fun."


	16. A Prelude to War

Did that last chapter make you cry? It's ok, you can tell me. I won't judge.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. The statement prior to this statement is true. The statement prior to this statement is false. So, you tell me. Do I own One Piece?

* * *

Chapter XVI: A Prelude to War

"Welcome, pirates!" Most of the Straw Hats looked on in confusion as the entire town met their ship at the docks, waving, whistling, and cheering.

"Welcome to the Grand Line!"

"Welcome to Whiskey Peak!"

"Welcome, warriors of the sea!"

"A town that welcomes pirates?" Sanji asked skeptically. "The Grand Line sure is a strange place."

"We should probably sleep with our eyes open," Zoro commented. Sanji and Usopp thought he was joking of course. Unbeknownst to them, Zoro was half serious and Nami was already planning on doing just that. Sanji quickly forgot his skepticism as multiple women waved and blew kisses at him, and Usopp was a lost cause after the _warriors of the sea_ comment. A tall man with freakishly curly hair met them at the docks once they dropped anchor, and greeted them cheerfully.

"Welcome, pirates! I am Mayor Igarappoi. This is Whiskey Peak, the Grand Line's most hospitable rest stop. We invite you to take a rest from your courageous and weary adventures to enjoy the food, drink, music, and cheerful atmosphere before you resume your journey." There was a moment of pseudo-hesitation before Sanji was flirting with a multitude of women and Luffy and Usopp were dancing through the streets as the townsfolk cheered them on.

Nami facepalmed and sighed. "Are they all idiots?" she whispered to Zoro. He shrugged.

"Either that, or they're much better actors than the people in this town." Nami frowned in thought. Now that she thought about it, Luffy was usually more insightful than this, despite his cheerful and carefree persona. She didn't have much hope for the other two, but could Luffy just be going along with it? He was being very convincing if he was. She decided to go with the flow as well, resolving to milk the situation for whatever it was worth once given the opportunity. There was no way anything could happen with Zoro on guard at the very least.

But she still found it strange. Zoro had made that comment in a lazy tone, but she somehow got the feeling that he had been referring to Luffy to begin with. She frowned again as she thought about the nature of the two's interactions. She sometimes felt like they could communicate telepathically or something. Her eyes widened as she remembered their lecture on Observation Haki. Masters of the skill could apparently read thoughts via the emotions that drove them as long as those emotions weren't being suppressed, so in theory, Luffy and Zoro could communicate nonverbally in a limited fashion. That was how they always held conversations without a single word. They were speaking with each other through conveyance of _emotions_.

But something like a conversation still wouldn't be possible with emotions alone. Something like that needed context. She thought back to that day in the bar in Shells Town and the first interaction she had witnessed between the two. For the first time she wondered when they had met. Did they really know each other so well that they could make an educated guess as to what the other was thinking and only need a quick confirmation using Observation Haki to signal messages? If they really deserved the credit that she was giving them right now, then there was really no doubt that Luffy was acting. If Zoro knew, Luffy knew.

Suddenly, the thought of what her two crewmates could supposedly do made her self-conscious. She peeked at Zoro through the corner of her eye and tried to get a read on him. If he was reading her emotions right now, he didn't show it. It wasn't that Nami didn't trust them with that kind of knowledge, but it would take quite a bit of restraint for her to not exercise a power like that liberally if she could use it.

As they continued walking, Nami turned to Zoro, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Hey, Zoro? How long have you known Luffy?"

Zoro looked at her curiously, but responded truthfully, "About two and a half years."

That made sense. Bonds like that could be developed in less time depending on the circumstances. This simply confirmed her suspicions. Luffy and Zoro knew each other as well, if not better, than they knew themselves.

* * *

Once Luffy had cleared all the food from the premises and caused the chefs to faint, their hosts started a drinking game with a prize of 100,000 Belly. Nami readily took part, and Luffy and Zoro followed suit, staring each other down from across the table. Once it started, it really started. The three Straw Hats had the rest of the participants puking and passing out in a matter of a minute, and they continued to chug, eventually abandoning the cups in favor of the bottles, as it was taking too long to pour. As the drink-off continued, the mayor seemed to be more and more troubled by something.

Inwardly, the mayor was fuming. The three should have passed out long before now. They had been strengthening the concentration of the alcohol in their drinks discretely until they started drinking right from the bottle and taking away the opportunity. But even without that added punch, they should have passed out ages ago. What were these three made of? He signaled to Miss Monday to initiate plan B, and she rigged the next batch of bottles with sleeping drugs. It was right as the swordsman and the Straw Hat kid got ready to chug those bottles as well that they finally collapsed to the floor. The woman seemed to frown at the sight. What was that about? Was she disappointed in them? No, it was more like…confusion. Mr. 8 filed away the observation as irrelevant as the woman passed out as well. He scoffed. What an annoying coincidence it was that they had all passed out right _after_ they'd taken the effort to rig the booze. Mr. 8 would facepalm in embarrassment when he thought back on this later.

It wasn't long before the other two pirates had fallen asleep as well, content expression on their faces. _Too bad those won't last_, Igaram thought grimly. He met up with Miss Monday, Mr. 9, and Miss Wednesday and described their victims to the 9 couple. The two seemed to be disconcerted when they saw them, but they didn't voice it, so Mr. 8 ignored it.

"Was all this necessary, Mr. 8?" Miss Monday asked in a slightly annoyed tone. "We could have taken care of them at the port. It was only 5 people."

"You should know well by now not to carelessly underestimate our victims, Miss Monday," he said as he pulled out two wanted posters. Three pairs of eyes widened to epic proportions at what they saw.

"A total bounty of 73 million Belly?" Miss Wednesday whispered in awe. "_Them?_"

"Looks can be deceiving," Mr. 8 said simply. Miss Monday nodded apologetically. "No matter. Hurry and search their ship while we restrain them. It's preferable to take them alive. The rewards will be 30% less if we kill them."

"Sorry to interfere with your plans," a new voice came, and the four bounty hunters stiffened as they turned toward the roof of the nearest building. "But would you mind letting them sleep for a little while longer? They're pretty worn out from our trip here."

"What in the world?" Mr. 8 exclaimed. "How is that swordsman still conscious? How did he escape? What happened to the idiots who were watching them!?"

"Oh, those guys were guards?" Zoro asked lazily. "No wonder they attacked me." He scratched his head, and then a cold, bone-chilling smile stretched out across his face. "They've…seen better days."

"It seems this man has seen through our fabrications," Miss Monday assessed calmly. "We will simply have to kill this one." Mr. 8 nodded grimly.

"Hmm, too bad," Zoro said. "As a rule I don't like cutting up people who give me booze, but I can't have you killing me, now, can I?" he paused. "So, I guess I'll take you on." He raised one sword out of three and pointed at the four of them. "Baroque Works."

Mr. 8's breath caught in his throat. "How…how did you know?" he asked in horror.

"I know a lot of things," he said simply. "Some of which I could use to kill every one of you without having to lift a finger. There are only about a hundred of you. Taking into account the size of your organization, you all seem pretty expendable to me." Mr. 8's eyes widened as he actually started to feel an irrational fear of the man's words. Was it because he had hit the nail on the head? But what more could he possibly know? Zoro's smile turned menacing as he pointed off to the distance. Mr. 8 slowly followed his finger to a nearby tree, and his fear multiplied. There, perched in a tree, were an otter and a vulture. The Unluckies.

"I wonder what would happen to you all," he began, "if I revealed the identity of Mr. 0 to you here and now."

The terror on the four number agents' faces grew with every word as the Unluckies listened on intently. Mr. 8 felt his heartbeat in his throat. He knew the answer to that question. He habitually calculated the risk of knowing who the head of the organization was every day. But how could this man possibly know who their boss was? He wasn't even part of the organization. It was impossible. And yet, he already knew so much that he shouldn't. Who was he? "Of course," Zoro continued, "It won't have to come to that, will it?" His smile vanished and their blood froze as he glared. "After all, this is just the Grand Line's friendly local rest stop, right?"

They all gulped at the open threat. If they let these high bounties go, their standing within the organization would be at risk. But if they pressed on and it turned out the man wasn't bluffing, they were all as good as dead. Mr. 8 gritted his teeth in frustration. They couldn't take a risk like this. Not now.

"Call off the others," he said quietly. "These pirates leave unharmed." Mr. 9 and Miss Monday looked at him like he was insane, while Miss Wednesday just nodded slowly in understanding.

"It seems you can be reasoned with. Smart choice," Zoro said smugly. Mr. 8 turned to the still staring agents.

"What are you waiting for!? Go wake up the pirates and tell them they can't stay any longer!" he shouted. Realizing that he was leaving no room for argument, Mr. 9 and Miss Monday left in a hurry. They arrived back where the pirates were being kept, only to find not one, but _three_ of them missing. They seethed. Would their humiliation never end? They quickly ran back out to locate them, and found the kid with the straw hat, the one with the higher bounty, standing on the docks with his back to them.

He was pissing in the water.

No, it was clear that their humiliation would not end anytime soon. "Hey, straw hat kid!" Mr. 9 yelled. The kid ignored them as he continued emptying his load over the docks. Mr. 9 recoiled at the sheer idiocy of the situation and was about to shout again when the kid finally turned around and faced them. "You know, you really shouldn't disturb someone who's trying to take a piss," he said. "Now that I'm done, what is it?"

Miss Monday looked like she was trying extremely hard not to kill the kid right then and there. Mr. 9 took a deep breath. "I'm afraid our town cannot accommodate your crew any longer. We must ask you all to leave."

Luffy hummed thoughtfully. "Well, that's too bad. The food and drink here are really good. At least when they're not sabotaged." The two agents' eyes widened at the implications of the statement. The kid smirked. "So, I guess Zoro talked some sense into you guys, then? Don't feel too bad. It's not just you. A lot of people think he's scary."

Their minds were going haywire. How many of them had seen through the charade? What was it about this crew that continued to blow their expectations to the wind? "I'll go wake up my crewmates," the kid continued. "Thanks for the party. It was fun." And with that, he walked back into the building where his comrades were located.

Mr. 9 and Miss Monday ran back to meet Mr. 8 only to freeze upon their arrival. It seemed their bad luck just wouldn't run dry today. Standing across from Miss Wednesday and Mr. 8, who by all rights should have been suffering from an aneurysm by this point, was their collective death sentence in the form of a couple by the codenames of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine.

"Mr. 5," Mr. 8 choked, barely getting the words out, "we can explain! There's a reason why we've failed our mission this time!"

"Failed your mission?" Mr. 5 asked in a bored tone. "I can't say I really care about that. We're here for a different reason."

"A different reason…?" Mr. 8 repeated dumbly. Miss Valentine laughed mockingly.

"You didn't really think we'd come all the way to the beginning of the Grand Line just to supervise your unimportant mission, did you?" she asked.

"Then, why are you here?" Miss Wednesday asked carefully.

"We've been assigned a mission by the boss," Mr. 5 answered. "His exact words were '_someone knows my secret_.'"

Miss Wednesday and Mr. 8 had both adopted expressions of horror once again, while their partners just looked back and forth between them in confusion.

"Now, I don't know what that secret is, but I do know that Baroque Works is an organization sworn to secrecy. If someone were to find out something that the boss didn't want them to know, they'd have to be eliminated. Isn't that right, Miss Wednesday?" He smirked. "Or should I say, Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom?"

Mr. 8 reacted immediately, launching a series of bombs at the pair. Miss Valentine jumped into the air while Mr. 5 took the blast head-on. "Igaram!" Vivi yelled in worry.

"Run, Vivi! Take the Eternal Pose to Alabasta and flee this place! I'll hold them as long as I can!" The smoke from the blast cleared to reveal Mr. 5 standing completely unharmed.

"It would seem you fools know not your place," he said calmly, as he pulled out a small pistol and brought it up to his face. "_**Breeze Breath Bomb,**_" he mumbled, before blowing into the gun. The pistol shot the volatile air towards Igaram and Vivi. Vivi ran, but Igaram was slow to react, and couldn't get out of the way as the explosive breath flew in his direction…and hit two people in front of him.

Igaram and Vivi looked on in horror as Mr. 9 and Miss Monday took the full force of the blast for their old comrades. Vivi felt tears escape her as their bodies fell lifelessly to the ground. If they took another hit like that, they wouldn't make it. Mr. 5 just scoffed at their stupidity and shot off another round of breath bombs at Igaram, who was engulfed in a series of fiery explosions.

"Igaram!" Vivi screamed in desperation. The explosions continued, and Mr. 5 spoke up.

"The Bomu Bomu no Mi. It turns my entire body into a bomb waiting to go off," Mr. 5 explained. He stilled though, as the explosions suddenly died out. Vivi looked on in amazement. The spot where Igaram had been standing was now engulfed in a dense whirlwind that seemed to have overfed the flames from the inside of the blast. Mr. 5's eyes widened under his sunglasses the whirlwind dissolved to reveal Mr. 8—or rather, Igaram—completely unharmed. In front of him stood a green-haired man with a sword drawn at his side and pointed at the ground.

"Wow, what a night," Zoro said with a grin. "Sorry, but for reasons I can't reveal, I can't let you kill them," he said as he faced Mr. 5.

"No need to apologize," a voice said from above. "That just means you'll die with them." Miss Valentine floated above their heads with an amused smile on her face. "Surprised?" she asked. "The Kilo Kilo no Mi. I can change my body mass from one kilogram to 10,000 kilograms at will. It makes for a pretty deadly fighting style, if I do say so myself." She smiled widely. "_**10,000 **__**Kilogram Press!**_" She dropped through the air like an anvil, aiming to drop down on Zoro's head.

Zoro casually tilted his body to the side, and Miss Valentine completely missed him, getting stuck in a small crater in the ground. Zoro turned to Vivi and Igaram and scratched his head. "Hmm, what should I say?" he wondered aloud. "I guess I didn't really think this part through very well. Well, whatever. I think I can speak on behalf of my captain when I say we'd be willing to give you a lift to Alabasta." Igaram's eyes narrowed.

"Why would you go to such lengths to help us?" he asked in well-founded suspicion. Zoro shrugged.

"If you need a reason, then let's just say it's to thank you for the sake. We could have gone without what happened afterwards, but you guys couldn't have killed us even if you tried. So, taking into account that you didn't even try…we'll be forgiving."

"That doesn't explain why you'd go out of your way to help us though," Vivi said cautiously. Zoro tilted his head. _What should I say to get them to trust me?_ he idly wondered, before a loud shout broke him out of his thoughts.

"Zoro!" The voice of his captain pierced the air, and Zoro turned toward Luffy. "Oh, hey, Captain," he said. "I thought you'd still be sleeping. Since you didn't wake up earlier, I just assumed you'd leave this to me. What's up?"

Luffy's hat shadowed his eyes. After a few seconds, he raised his head and a wide, mischievous grin spread across his face. He raised his fists in the air and shouted. "_You bastard! I'll kick your ass!_" Zoro didn't have much time to try to puzzle out this statement before his reflexes screamed at him and he moved his head to the side to dodge a punch that sent ripples through the rock formation behind him and shattered the stone, toppling nearby trees in the process. Luffy's stretched-out fist rushed back to his body, and Zoro pulled two swords out, his mind finally catching up to just what the hell was happening right now.

_Oh,__ he cannot be serious._

Luffy was very much serious. Zoro watched as his arm took on a reddened tint and steam started rising from the limb. "_**Gomu **__**Gomu**__** no…**_" Zoro got his swords at the ready. "_**Jet **__**Pistol**__**!**_" Zoro blocked the attack using a cross formation with his two swords. His feet gave way and he slid back a few inches, but he was unharmed.

_The strongest attack he's used since coming to the past._ _And he's using it on an ally for shits and giggles. _Sometimes, his captain really frustrated him.

"Why are they fighting? Aren't they comrades?" Vivi asked in confusion. Suddenly, a new voice spoke up from behind them.

"Hey, Miss!" Vivi turned to face the new arrival. It was the two pirates that had easily fallen for their tricks.

"So, it's you," Usopp said. "The weird lady who we met inside Laboon." Before Vivi could ask what they wanted, as she was extremely pressed for time, the other one spoke up.

"We have no idea what's going on here, but our captain has ordered us to protect you. Would you please come with us, Miss?" Sanji asked politely.

"More fools show up to die," came the annoyed voice of Mr. 5. "When will you no name pirates learn not to get in our way?" He raised his pistol to his mouth again and Sanji's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what that was, but anyone could tell it was a hostile move. It was a shitty pistol. He quickly kicked Usopp out of the way and grabbed Vivi as the man fired, jumping out of range of the following explosion. He set Vivi down and turned a scathing glare towards Mr. 5. Before the numbered agent could blow into the pistol again, Sanji jumped high into the air, performing a series of front flips. Mr. 5's eyes widened as he approached with surprising speed. He raised the pistol a second too late, and Sanji's downward spinning heel connected with the dome of his head, shattering his sunglasses in the process.

"_**Mutton Shoot!**_"

Mr. 5 slumped to the ground in obvious pain while Miss Valentine watched in mix between shock and rage. "You bastard!" Vivi looked on in awe. The Mr. 5 pair had never lost to any pirates as far as she knew. Who were these people? Miss Valentine proceeded to perform another 10,000 Kilogram Press, which Sanji hopped out of the way of. She didn't stop though, continuing to jump into the air and attempt to flatten Sanji. Sanji continued to hop out of the way as Vivi watched in shock and Usopp in annoyance.

"Hey, Sanji! Why don't you attack back at some point?" the long-nosed man shouted, but Sanji just yelled back, telling him to shut it as he continued to avoid the blows that were making numerous craters in the ground.

"You'll have to do more than dodge if you want to beat me!" Miss Valentine said, still seething.

"Sorry, Miss. I don't kick women," Sanji replied. "Would you consider not trying to crush me anymore and perhaps cradle my head against your chest instead?" He asked the question in the most innocent of tones, but that just seemed to infuriate the woman more. Suddenly, she stopped, taking a deep breath. Then she started running in Vivi's direction. Usopp yelped and held out his slingshot with a frightened expression, and Sanji's eyes narrowed as his code of chivalry clashed with his captain's orders.

Usopp shot a flame star at Miss Valentine, only for her to jump over it and soar high into the air. She was directly above Vivi before she increased her weight again and crashed into vacant ground once more. Sanji set down Vivi carefully and frowned, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep this up forever.

"_**One Sword Style: Bird Dance!**_" The wind blade, which Luffy dodged, continued on past its target and hit Miss Valentine dead center. She gasped as blood seeped from the wound, and fell to the ground, breathing heavily. Sanji rounded on Zoro.

"You bastard! That had better have been unintentional!" Zoro paid him no attention, though, still locked in his ongoing fight with Luffy. Vivi got over her shock at seeing the Mr. 5 pair defeated, and turned to Sanji.

"Why are those two fighting, anyway?"

Sanji blinked. "Oh, them?" he asked nonchalantly. "They're idiots," he said as if that explained it all. It was that that Mr. 5 recovered and looked at Sanji in fury.

_That fucking hurt_, he thought. _If it __weren't__ for my __Devil Fruit__ giving me increased resistance to blunt force, I'd be out cold with a concussion._

He ran toward Sanji in frenzy, attempting to take the man out with an explosive punch. Sanji raised his leg in preparation for another assault.

"_**Gomu **__**Gomu no…Whip**__**!**__" _Zoro jumped over Luffy's leg, which crashed into Mr. 5 and sent him soaring through the air before he finally crashed into a rock, and didn't get up again. All eyes turned toward the escalating conflict. They seemed to be at a temporary standstill.

"Fine," Zoro said. "If we're gonna do this, then I hope you're ready, Luffy." He unsheathed his third sword and placed it in his mouth before tying his bandana around his head. Luffy grinned widely, and his entire form seemed to redden as steam slowly rose from his body.

"_**Three Sword Style…1080 Caliber Phoenix!**_"

"_**Gomu **__**Gomu**__** no…Grizzly **__**Magnum!**_" A large, dense wind cannon shot towards Luffy at the same time his arms blackened to obsidian and grew to the size of houses before their eyes. He threw his arms forward and met the wind cannon head-on. Everyone in the vicinity was blown off of their feet as the ball of condensed air ruptured from the force of the blow.

"That's new," Sanji commented. Luffy's arms were blown backwards, and quickly shrank back down to normal before he leapt into the air. Zoro barraged him with a storm of large, fast, deadly wind blades, and Luffy danced through the air, weaving through them gracefully as his blackened arms blurred out of sight and rebounded off of Zoro's swords. Zoro quickly sheathed two swords as Luffy landed.

"_**One Sword Style**__**…Lion's Death Song!**_" Luffy leapt out of the way of the deadly blade, whistling as the buildings behind him were cleanly sliced in half as a side effect of the swing. He landed behind Zoro and prepared his own attack. His blackened arm erupted in flames as he reared it back and launched at the swordsman.

"_**Gomu **__**Gomu**__** no…Red Hawk!**_" Zoro too jumped out of the way, and Luffy's arm left a long explosive trail in its wake, reducing the buildings that had already been cut in half to rubble.

Zoro sighed in exasperation. "Are we done here, Luffy?" Luffy shrugged.

"I guess, unless you wanna get serious. I don't feel like destroying the island, though."

Zoro sheathed his swords, and Luffy grinned with mirth.

"Well, if Zoro's done messing around, what do you say we take a princess to her kingdom?" he asked.

"I'm gonna kill you one day," Zoro mumbled, and Luffy burst out laughing. Sanji and Usopp just watched with blank expressions, used to their antics, while Vivi and Igaram continued to wonder what the hell was going on.

"Princess?" Sanji asked. He turned to the only female that Luffy could be talking about and observed her carefully. Then he shrugged. "I wouldn't mind bowing down to you," he said casually.

"Would someone please explain what on earth is going on?" Igaram asked in frustration, his head in his hands.

"Sure. One sec," Luffy said. He turned in a random direction and shouted. "Nami! You can come out now!" The orange-haired woman appeared out of the shadows of a nearby building, an extremely annoyed look on her face.

"I finish looting their treasure, and I come to see you two destroying the town? What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

Igaram looked at the bag slung over her shoulder, and his head sagged. It was the treasure they'd looted from the previous group of pirates that had passed through. So, she'd seen right through them as well? Were they that pathetic?

"Hey, Nami, guess what? We're escorting Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom to her home country so she can prevent a civil war and overthrow the leader of an underground criminal organization." Vivi's eyes widened with each word. Not just the swordsman, but him too? Why did they know so much?

Nami stared at Luffy. "Why?" she asked bluntly. Luffy shrugged.

"I'm a little curious myself, Luffy, was it? Why are you so willing to help us?" Vivi asked.

"Because we know about the situation in Alabasta and what Baroque Works is doing there. If we don't get you there, hundreds of thousands of people will die over a misunderstanding. We want to prevent that." Vivi just stared at him for a second, and Zoro stared right back. It wasn't a lie. They did want to prevent it. But it was mostly for Vivi's sake. He couldn't exactly tell her that, though.

"Are you really pirates?" she finally asked. Luffy smiled.

"The best you'll ever find," he said confidently. Some crews came close in Luffy's mind. The Whitebeard Pirates, the Red Hair Pirates, the Heart Pirates, etc. But the Straw Hats were obviously the best. Vivi was still confused but nodded slowly.

"If you're willing to take me, I would highly appreciate an escort to Alabasta. Just be aware that Baroque Works will be sending officer agents after me the whole way through," she said.

"They won't be a problem," Zoro said nonchalantly. Nami asked again why they were doing this, and Luffy told Vivi to explain the full situation in her kingdom as well as the structure of Baroque Works. After hearing the story, Nami sighed and relented, knowing Luffy had made up his mind anyway.

"So, who is this Mr. 0 really, then?" she finally asked. Vivi started sweating and insisted that she couldn't say, lest they be targeted even after they dropped her off.

"It's Crocodile of the Seven Warlords," Luffy said. Vivi's jaw dropped, Igaram collapsed onto the ground, Nami punched Luffy over the head and started shaking him by his collar relentlessly, Usopp shrieked in fear, Sanji blinked, and Zoro laughed.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get going." Suddenly they heard the sound of scribbling, and looked over to find the Unluckies sitting across from them. Vivi and Igaram paled at the sight. They showed them 5 neatly drawn pictures, one of each of the Straw Hats, and then started to fly off, but they suddenly fell out of the air and onto the ground unconscious.

Zoro turned to Luffy with a raised eyebrow. Luffy shrugged. "They look tasty."

"All right, what's with the otter and the vulture?" Nami asked.

"The Unluckies report directly to Mr. 0," Vivi said with a shudder. "If they had gotten away, you would have been targeted immediately. We would have been in horrible danger."

"I fear we still are, Vivi," Igaram stated. "Without a report from the Mr. 5 pair, Mr. 0 is likely to send either the Mr. 3 or Mr. 4 pair next." Vivi's eyes widened at that.

"Then what should we do?"

Igaram suggested a plan in which he acted as a decoy and Vivi boarded the Straw Hats' ship. Luffy and Zoro reluctantly agreed, knowing what would happen. They were pretty sure the man wouldn't be killed, but decided to keep a close watch on his aura anyway…as well as any potential killing intent in the vicinity.

When Igaram's ship departed, they braced themselves for what was about to happen. They still couldn't sense any intent to kill, so they kept silent. When the large explosion engulfed his ship and covered the waters in flames, Luffy and Zoro dragged everyone onto the Going Merry. Vivi had a tormented expression on her face, and Zoro reassured her.

"Don't worry. He's not dead," he told her. Vivi's eyes widened.

"How do you—?"

"We can tell," Zoro interrupted. "We'll talk later. For now, we need to go."

"Wait, I can't leave without Carue!" she remembered as Zoro climbed onto the ship.

"Would Carue happen to be a giant duck?" he asked. This surprised Vivi, and she climbed onto the ship to see Carue already there.

"All right, if that's everything, let's go," Nami said, worry evident in her voice. As the ship sailed away from the island, Nami breathed a sigh of relief. "All right, it looks like we're in the clear," she said.

"Good thing, too. Baroque Works would have been here soon," a voice said.

"Yeah, good thing we escaped," Nami answered.

"Watch out for the shallow water so you don't damage the hull," the voice suggested.

"Right, you can count on me," Nami said confidently. After a few seconds, she turned nervously to Luffy. "Um…was that you…?"

Luffy shook his head and pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. All eyes turned around to see an unidentified woman sitting peacefully on the railing. Half of the ship's occupants immediately panicked.

"This is a nice ship," the intruder said with a serene smile. Luffy turned to her.

"Glad you like it." Vivi ignored the informality and shouted.

"Why are you here!? Miss All Sunday!"

The intruder continued smiling, resting her face in the palm of her hand. "Hello, Miss Wednesday," the woman greeted, completely ignoring her question. "I ran into Mr. 8 not too long ago," she said, as if she was commenting on the weather. Vivi quickly became enraged.

"You…what did you do to him!?" she screamed. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to face Luffy.

"It's OK. He's still alive," he said in a reassuring tone. Vivi wanted to believe him along with the swordsman, but how could they be so sure? Miss All Sunday was wondering the same thing, but the smile never slipped from her face.

"Who is she?" Nami finally asked. "Which pair does she belong to?"

"She's part of the Mr. 0 pair, Crocodile's partner," Vivi whispered. Nami looked extremely worried now, and Usopp was visibly cowering, though to his credit, he did have one hand on his slingshot. Sanji was busy admiring her beauty, and Luffy and Zoro were suppressing the familiar pangs of guilt in their stomachs. They should have gotten use to this by now, but their survivor's guilt seemed to affect them separately for each individual comrade they had failed to save.

"She's the one I trailed to find out Mr. 0's identity," Vivi continued.

"Correction," the woman said. "I'm the one who let you trail me."

"I knew," Vivi whispered. "And you're the one who revealed us to Mr. 0, aren't you?" Her voice rose. "What are your intentions exactly?"

"Who knows? But you were so serious about it. I just had to let you follow me. Still, a princess infiltrates an underground criminal organization in a desperate attempt to save her dying country. It all seems a bit much, don't you think?" she said in a straight tone of voice.

"_Stop mocking me!_" Vivi screamed.

Nami and Usopp drew their weapons, getting ready for a conflict, before a sudden blast of Conqueror's Haki diffused the situation. The two stiffened and looked at their captain questioningly.

"Enough," Luffy said. The command, for it could be mistaken for nothing else, was obeyed. Miss All Sunday was looking down at Luffy curiously as a bead of sweat slid down her cheek. Despite this, she kept smiling. Luffy looked her dead in the eye. "You're on the losing side of this game, Robin."

The woman's composure instantly slipped away along with her smile, and her eyes widened slightly. There was a moment of silence before she regained her bearings and spoke. "So, you know my identity. You've piqued my curiosity, Monkey D. Luffy."

"Well, you look just like the wanted poster," he replied. Miss All Sunday smiled again, but Luffy could sense her discomfort.

"I see," is all she said. It wasn't a lie. She did look strikingly similar to her 8-year-old self. "It would seem you might have earned your reputation, Straw Hat Luffy. However, you won't make it to Alabasta," she said after a while. "Even if we do nothing, your next destination…is Little Garden." She didn't offer an Eternal Pose this time. Zoro suspected that much of the amusement she found in this had just died. As she jumped off the ship and onto a rather large turtle, she turned towards them one last time. "Good luck, I suppose," she said before leaving.

"To Little Garden, then," Zoro said when she was gone. The crew went about their business, and not for the first time, Vivi wondered what kind of pirates she had involved herself with.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's my longest chapter so far. I'd like to think most of you were caught off guard. Who am I to take out the Luffy vs. Zoro fight?


	17. A Reason to Fight

So, in addition to making me shit my pants uncontrollably at the sight of Zoro mountain busting, the latest chapter got me thinking. Zoro is now the first swordsman that we've seen clearly using Armament hardening on his swords. So, what does this mean? It basically means my theory about regular Armament being better for swords is out the window, since he clearly used hardening when shit got serious. I've actually edited Zoro's explanation in Chapter 15, so you can take another look at that if you're interested. But yeah, this chapter was…enlightening to say the least.

Disclaimer: If I owned One Piece, I'd separate it into three shards called the Piece of Courage, the Piece of Wisdom, and the Piece of Power. Then I'd give the Piece of Courage to an unassuming small time swordsman who must rise to the challenge of being randomly selected as a legendary fated hero. Then I'd give the Piece of Wisdom to a magical shape shifting princess who is much more impressive than the legendary hero up until the very last fight when she suddenly becomes useless. Finally, I'd leave the Piece of Power in an ancient temple so that an incarnation of pure hatred in the form of a man could eventually steal it and bring the world to its knees in search of the magical princess before finally being defeated by the legendary hero.

Don't get this reference? That's ok. I don't own One Piece, so no one's perfect.

* * *

Chapter XVII: A Reason to Fight

"All right, everyone, it's time to continue our Haki training!" Luffy announced. The statement was quickly met by two groans from Nami and Usopp and a curious look from Vivi. Luffy quickly explained the concept of Haki to Vivi, telling her that their crew was training in it and that she was welcome to join. Vivi politely declined, saying that she'd just watch for now. So, for the next hour, she watched them undergo their strange training regimens, wondering how this would help them unlock such a fantastical ability. Some of their methods seemed slightly…degrading. Moreover, Vivi wondered why Luffy and Zoro weren't taking part. When she voiced this inquiry, Luffy stated that they already knew all the basics and only had to work on their mastery. Whatever that meant.

Vivi was impressed, though. They kept this up for a few hours, only taking short breaks, before Luffy called them off and said they should prepare for lunch. "Can't train on any empty stomach," he said jovially as Nami and Usopp slumped to the floor and Sanji made his way to the kitchen.

Vivi looked at Nami and Usopp in wonder. She hesitated, and then spoke up. "If you two don't mind me asking, why do you train so hard? Who do you plan on fighting?" They looked surprised by the question, but nonetheless thoughtful. Nami was tempted to say something like, 'I'd like to know myself,' and Usopp wanted to respond, 'This is nothing for the Great Captain Usopp,' but they both held their tongues and gave the question the consideration that it deserved. Finally, Nami answered.

"It's not that we plan on fighting anyone in particular. It's just that I…" she said slowly. She frowned, trying to figure out what it was that she wanted to say. Usopp finished for her.

"I think it's because Luffy always goes out of his way to protect us, and I just want to be able to return the favor. The great Captain Usopp can't just sit on the sidelines forever, you know?" Nami nodded in agreement despite the _great Captain Usopp_ part.

"I know I'm not a monster like some _other_ members of our crew," she said, "but that doesn't mean I can't make a difference. Since he offered us training on a silver platter, I thought, why not?" She paused. "It doesn't seem like I'm making much progress, though," she said gloomily.

Vivi was a bit impressed by their answers. She herself was a pacifist, and didn't believe fighting could solve problems, which made the infiltration of Baroque Works especially difficult for her. But hearing their words, she couldn't help but think back to what her mentor and friend had once told her. _It's not about fighting, it's about protecting_.

Perhaps there was more depth to these pirates' strength than she had originally thought? Perhaps they didn't gain strength for the sake of fighting, but for the sake of protecting? If so, that was an important distinction in her mind. She was honestly starting to take a liking to them.

"Oh, by the way, Nami," Usopp started excitedly. "I've been doing some experiments with a lot of potential for application in combat. In addition to my new and improved Exploding Star, I came up with a pretty good idea for a weapon. It's a bit unconventional, but that just makes it even better. I could use some suggestions for it, and I think you could probably help. What do you say?" Nami looked surprised, but nodded.

"Sure, I'll take a look after lunch. I just wish I could come up with something similar in case this Haki business doesn't work out." She had a sad look on her face.

"Hah! Don't count us out just yet, Nami. If my theories pan out, I've got just the thing for you," he said. "Soon enough we'll be monsters in our own right!" Usopp crossed his arms and closed his eyes, nodding as he envisioned it. This caused Nami to cheer up a bit.

"Lunch is served, ladies!" Sanji called from above deck. "Right this way, if you will."

Vivi quickly found out that lunch with the Straw Hats was either eaten quickly or not eaten at all. Luffy's arms blurred out of sight as he stole food from everyone's plates indiscriminately. Sanji was having limited success in stopping him, and Nami and Usopp were having none whatsoever. Vivi could see the borderline hazardous rage building up in Nami. Only Zoro seemed to be indifferent. But then again, he was the only one defending his food successfully…for the most part.

Finally Sanji shouted, "Dammit, Luffy, if you can't keep to your own food, you don't get a single bite of the main course!" he asserted. Luffy looked as if he'd just been issued a death sentence, and his jaw dropped as he started sweating profusely. He pulled his arm, which was dangerously close to Sanji's plate, back to his side. He started pouting and turned his head away.

"Sanji's a jerk," he mumbled to no one in particular. When the main course arrived, they were finally able to dig in without worrying about their food disappearing before their eyes. Vivi took a bite and smiled.

"It's delicious!" she said gleefully.

"Thank you _ma'am_!" Sanji said with enthusiasm.

"Sanji's cooking is unrivalled!" Luffy shouted. "He can prepare anything! Even a weird otter and creepy vulture." Vivi froze.

"Otter and vulture?" she asked reluctantly.

"Ah, that's what the main course is. It's a healthy blend of otter and vulture meat. Apparently, Luffy got them from Whiskey Peak. It was pretty easy to prepare, even if the meat itself is an unconventional consumption," Sanji said. Vivi felt a bit dizzy as she stared down at the plate in front of her. She was eating…the Unluckies. That felt…strange, to say the least. Sanji grew concerned. "Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Vivi shook her head frantically. She brought herself out of her stupor and continued eating, not really caring that much all of a sudden. It really was delicious. Sanji just shrugged and sat down with everybody. After lunch, Nami informed everyone that they should be arriving at Little Garden soon before disappearing below deck with Usopp. Luffy and Zoro said they were going to train a little. For the next half hour, Vivi was lost in thought, worrying about the state of her country. She didn't know how much the situation had changed since she last checked with Igaram. She wondered where he was right now. Was he on his way to Alabasta as well?

Nami and Usopp came back up again, and she suddenly realized how long she'd been spacing out. "That's amazing, Usopp! Your theories are pretty sound," she heard Nami say. "Do you really think you can make something like that?"

"Of course," Usopp said confidently. "I once built a great cannon that could destroy islands with a single blast. This is nothing in comparison." Nami ignored Usopp's habitual lying in favor of thinking about the potential that the weapon he was working on could have.

"Hey, look," Sanji said, looking out over the sea.

"What? Did you spot the island?" Nami asked.

"Nope. Just a dolphin," Sanji replied. They all looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Oh,Oh, wow, that's so cool!" Luffy said. "It's huge!" Nami looked at him in confusion. Huge? As the creature drew closer, she soon realized what he was talking about.

"Just a dolphin…" Sanji repeated as the marine mammal that was five times bigger than the Going Merry flipped over their ship. It disappeared into the water and soon resurfaced, swimming right towards them. It looked like it was about to ram the ship, but Luffy held his hand out at it and it slowed down, coming to a slow cruise next to them.

"Good boy," Luffy said, to the exasperation of the others and the sheer amazement of Vivi.

"How did you do that, Luffy-san!? Why did it listen to you?"

Luffy grinned. "It probably knows that I'm gonna be the Pirate King and decided not to take any chances," he said jokingly. Vivi was surprised at that announcement.

"Pirate King? Are you after One Piece Luffy-san?"

"Sure am," he said proudly. "Just watch. I'll be the first to get to Raftel…" he trailed off as an odd, wistful expression made his way onto his face. It seemed out of place on him. Vivi was about to ask what was wrong when Zoro spoke up.

"Hey, we've reached the island," he said. Everyone looked over the water to their destination.

"So, that's the second island of the Grand Line," Nami said.

"To be honest, I'm a little worried about what Miss All Sunday said," Vivi said.

"I wonder if there are monsters here," Usopp said fearfully.

"If there are, bring them back to the ship," Sanji suggested. "We're low on food since we didn't get to stock up at the last town."

As the ship cruised through a small canal leading into the uninhabited island, an eerie feeling overcame Nami. "This place looks like some sort of tropical jungle," she pointed out. "Why is it called Little Garden?" She took a look around, unable to quite shake the feeling that something was strange about the place. She suddenly heard a loud animal call, and turned her head upwards to see a gigantic reptilian bird bearing down on them. Usopp shrieked, and Nami tensed up as it swooped down in her direction.

"_**Mutton Shoot!**_" Sanji's kick sent it shooting through the air until it collided with a tree in the forest. The tree collapsed on top of it. "Shitty bird," Sanji mumbled. After that they heard a loud roar, and turned to see a tiger bigger than a mammoth making its way towards the canal. Sanji got ready for combat again, but as the tiger came closer, it collapsed onto the ground bleeding.

"What's with this place?" Usopp asked. "What could take down a tiger that big?"

"Probably something bigger," Luffy commented.

"Right," Usopp said. "I think I've just come down with "I-can't-get-on-this-island-itis."

"We should probably stay here until the Log Pose sets," Nami decided. Luffy completely ignored her.

"Sanji! Prepare our pirate lunchboxes. I can just smell the scent of adventure," he said with a grin. Nami rounded on him.

"Didn't you hear me just now, idiot? We don't know what's out there!" she protested.

"We also don't know how long it will take for the Log to set," Luffy replied. "It could be a while. We might as well make use of our time."

"Hey, would you mind if I came with you?" Vivi asked.

"Sure!" Luffy said as he accepted two small boxes of food from Sanji.

"You too, Vivi…" Nami said helplessly as she sulked.

"I really need to unwind and get my mind off of things," she said. "Come on, Carue, let's go." Carue looked at her like she'd just told him to jump into a pit of fire before obliging.

Before leaving, Luffy seemed to hesitate about something. He turned to the crew. "By the way, the conditions in this jungle seem really intense. Make sure to take precaution against the elements." Nami's jaw hung loosely. Was Luffy telling them to be cautious? That was…extremely out of character. As the three set out, Sanji called after Luffy.

"Protect Vivi-chan, Luffy! And bring back some good game if you can!" Luffy called out a quick confirmation and they left.

"I think I'll go do some hunting too," Zoro said as he jumped off the ship and over the water. He paused, and then turned back to Sanji. "Why don't you go scout for potential enemies?" he asked. "Since that Robin woman knew where we were going, it's possible that they've already sent assassins here. I'll keep a look out as well."

Sanji nodded at the idea, and then jumped off the ship himself before walking out in a different direction.

"And…we're alone," Nami stated sardonically. Usopp looked equally disturbed. "And I can't shake this unsettling feeling," she added. Usopp looked at her questioningly. "Little Garden…I swear I've heard that name before, but I can't quite place it."

* * *

"hey,Vivi, check this out!" Vivi strolled over and looked closely at the object in his hand. "It's an octopus shell!" he said.

"This is an ammonite," Vivi said in wonder.

"Right. Octopus shell," Luffy replied.

"Luffy-san, where did you find this?" she asked curiously.

"The stream here is full of them."

"But how could that be? These are supposed to be extinct!"

"It's probably a prehistoric island," Luffy suggested.

Vivi considered that for a moment. It seemed pretty farfetched, to be honest. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Well, there's a dinosaur over there," he said trivially as he pointed.

Vivi's eyes widened as she turned towards what he was pointing at. Towering above the trees, about 20 meters away from them…was a brontosaurus. _How the hell did I miss that?_

* * *

Nami could honestly say that she hadn't been as terrified as she was right now in over eight years. She looked up at her looming death with tears in her eyes. Usopp wasn't faring much better.

"What's wrong, little humans? Didn't you hear me? I asked if you had any sake," the giant boomed.

"Y-yes!" Nami choked out. "Yes, we do!" A large grin spread across the giant's face, which only served to multiply their terror.

"Ooooohh. So you have some. That's great!" he said as he leaned down to meet them at eye level, oblivious to their fear. Suddenly, he shouted at the top of his lungs, quite literally scaring the color out of their faces. The giant turned around to see a very bold T-Rex biting his ass. With one swing of his axe, he decapitated it. A dam suddenly broke, and Nami and Usopp cried out in fear for their lives. The giant, unbeknownst to them, mistook their shouts for battle cries, and proudly let loose one of his own as he raised his axe. "I am Elbaf's strongest warrior, the great Brogy!" he declared. He then looked down at Nami and Usopp, who were lying on their backs on the deck of the Going Merry. "I have some good meat now. How's about I treat you to a meal, little humans? It's not often I have guests." But the two didn't respond, and Brogy looked on in confusion, although he didn't stop grinning.

Luffy jumped up and down in mid air using Geppo as he waved his hands in front of the dinosaur's face. "Hey, hey dinosaur! Over here!" he shouted.

Vivi watched in a mix between fascination and shock in the face of what was currently happening. _How can he fly, first of all? _The dinosaur spared Luffy an apathetic glance before continuing to munch on leaves, ignoring him. Luffy pouted before landing on its head and started jumping up and down to get it's attention. This seemed to annoy the dinosaur, which attempted to swallow him. Vivi was frightened for a split second before Luffy's legs pushed against the air again, and he flew out of the dinosaur's range before landing back on its head. The dinosaur evidently had a short attention span, because it went back to eating leaves.

"Hey, little human!" a booming voice called out. Vivi turned toward it and stilled in fear. She understood then why this place was called Little Garden. To the being before them, it would be just that. _A giant?_ But why? What was he doing way out here? Up until now, Vivi was even sure if they truly existed.

Luffy turned towards the new arrival from atop the dinosaur's head. "Hey, how's it going?" he asked casually. The giant laughed a hearty laugh before answering.

"Going well, going well! Can't complain," he said jovially. "I was hunting for some food, and that dinosaur you're standing on looks really tasty. Were you gonna eat that?" Luffy jumped off the dinosaur's head and landed next to Vivi, who was wondering what kind of situation they were in right now, and motioned for the giant to continue. The giant promptly decapitated the brontosaurus before catching its head in his hand. "I am Elbaf's strongest warrior! The great Dorry!" the giant shouted before turning to Luffy and Vivi. "hey,little humans, why don't you come over to my place? I have some good food and drink."

Before Vivi could think of a way to politely decline, Luffy shouted up at him. "Sure! Sounds great!" The giant let out another hearty laugh before leading the way.

* * *

Brogy, who had assumed that Nami and Usopp were just worn out from their journey and carried them back to his home, looked down at the still terrified duo with a smile. "The meat is cooked. Dig in!" he said as he dropped a colossal hunk of meat down next to them.

"That's OK…we're not hungry," Nami said carefully. It was a complete lie, but Nami and Usopp were currently entertaining thoughts of folklore in which giants fattened up their prey before eating them.

"Ah, are you sure?" Brogy asked, a smile still etched across his face. "Dinosaur meat is really good." The two nodded weakly to convey that they were sure, and the giant shrugged before lifting up the giant hunk of meat and biting into it.

"Um, Brogy-san? Can I ask you something?" Brogy looked over and nodded for her to continue. "How long does the Log Pose take to set on this island?"

"One year," the giant said with a straight face. This caused Nami and Usopp to fall off the log they were sitting on. "Make yourselves at home!" Brogy said as he laughed.

* * *

Luffy dug into the giant piece of meat that was currently his seat as well as his meal. Vivi wondered how he could eat so much. He had already consumed what had to be at least his own body weight, and he didn't even look full. "This is pretty good, giant guy!" Luffy called out.

Dorry laughed in appreciation. "Well, your pirate lunch box was really good too, even if it was a bit small!"

"You know it was! My chef Sanji made that. I'd kick your ass if you said it tasted bad," Luffy said.

"Hmm? Kick my ass you say?" the giant asked in an amused tone. For a second Vivi froze in apprehension, but Dorry just continued laughing. "You're a funny little human! I like you!"

_They're getting along so well_, Vivi thought in exasperation as Carue fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Um, Dorry-san?" Vivi asked nervously. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing alone on an uninhabited island?"

"Good question!" Dorry boomed. "The truth is, I'm not alone. A friend of mine is also staying here. We come from the giant's village of the Grand Line known as Elbaf. But our village has a certain law. If two warriors have a quarrel and can't come to an agreement, then we must settle our disputes in a righteous battle. This island has served as our battleground since our disagreement, and the one who is in the right shall triumph." Dorry tilted his head back and laughed. "But it's been 100 years! We just can't seem to settle our duel!"

"100 years!? You've been fighting for that long!?" Vivi asked in astonishment.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise. We giants have triple the lifespan of you humans," Dorry said.

"But that's not the point! Why would you want to continue fighting after this long? Is there any reason to keep trying to kill each other!?"

"Hmm, well we don't necessarily have to kill each other," he corrected. "But that will most likely be the case when one of us wins." Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and they all turned to see that the volcano in the middle of the island had erupted.

"Oops, that's the signal," Dorry said. "Looks like it's time."

"But what was the quarrel in the first place? And how could you possibly hate each other so much that you'd continue this for—" Vivi didn't finish as Luffy held his hand out for her to stop.

"It's not about that. It never was," he stated.

"That's correct," Dorry confirmed as he charged toward the arriving Brogy. "The reason for our duel…" Birds flocked out of the vicinity as the two giants clashed, axe and sword to respective shield. "We forgot ages ago!"

Luffy stared at them with an unreadable expression as they fought it out, talking and reminiscing all the while. "Don't you long to return to our home of Elbaf, Dorry? I know I do," Brogy said in a nostalgic tone.

"That's exactly why I'll beat you! Today, victory is mine!" Dorry shouted with conviction.

"Dream on, my friend! Elbaf has chosen me as the victor!" Brogy shouted back. "If you're lucky, you'll survive your loss and we can both go back home!" They both let out loud laughs and continued in a flurry of strikes, dodges, and blocks. On one occasion Brogy managed to land a hit on Dorry's head, but Dorry adjusted his head so that his helmet would take the blow. On the other side of the forest, Usopp watched in awe.

"Come on, Usopp! This is our chance to escape!" Nami shouted. But Usopp just continued staring up at the two giants as they parried each other.

"I'm not leaving," he said quietly. Nami looked at him like his nose had just doubled in length. "Can't you see?" Usopp asked. "This is a true battle of pride between two warriors!"

Nami hummed. "Well, I'm not really interested in that, so I'll be seeing you."

"This is it. This is what I meant when I said brave warrior of the sea," Usopp said to nobody in particular. "I want to be just like them!" Nami looked at him with a worried expression before huffing and walking back over to sit on the log.

"So, you want to be a giant?" she asked rhetorically.

"Were you even listening!?" Usopp raged. They both looked back as the two giants disarmed each other simultaneously before resorting to ramming each other with their shields.

"73,466 duels," Brogy commented.

"73,466 draws," Dorry added. They both collapsed to the ground, panting heavily for a while. Eventually, they both started laughing.

"Hey, Dorry! I got some sake from our guests!" Brogy shouted with enthusiasm.

"Excellent! I haven't had any in so long! Pour me some, yeah?"

Unbeknownst to the two giants, four humans had recently arrived on the island, completely undetected. Or so those humans thought…

* * *

A/N: Fun fact: If you do the math, Dorry and Brogy have had about 2 fights per day for the last 100 years.


	18. Mission Accomplished

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. And as if that's not bad enough, I'm running out of witty disclaimer jokes to take my mind off of that fact. One day soon, I'll be forced to write a disclaimer without being a smartass about it, and I'm not sure that my self-esteem can take such a blow. But for now, I'll persevere. This concludes the melodramatic psychoanalysis of my disclaimers. Enjoy chapter 18.

* * *

Chapter XVIII: Mission Accomplished

Luffy frowned in agitation as Vivi asked Dorry if it really took the Log Pose a year to set. The memory in the back of his mind was struggling to break through the surface of his subconscious, but not quite managing. It was starting to give him a headache. For the past hour he had felt the four hostile auras making their way around the island, and he had patiently been waiting for them to make a move so he could kick their asses and be done with it, but now his patience was wearing thin. They hadn't gone anywhere near his crewmates, or even Dorry or Brogy for that matter, and that had led him to the task of trying to remember what their game had been last time. This was no easy feat for Luffy. For the most part, he only remembered things that had made a lasting impact the first time around, and the specifications of Mr. 3's plans did not fall into that category. The fact that it had been over two years ago didn't exactly help.

All he knew for sure was that 3 had sabotaged his crewmates in the jungle and waited for Dorry and Brogy's fight to end before making his move. And yet, he couldn't shake this nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He knew there had been some prelude to all that, but he just couldn't place it.

"By the way, little humans," Dorry's voice rose, snapping Luffy out of his thoughts, "am I right to assume that Brogy's guests are your crewmates?" Luffy scanned the island one more time and came to the same conclusion. Nami and Usopp were still with Brogy, and the Baroque Works agents were still in some isolated part of the jungle.

"Yeah," Luffy confirmed. "A long-nosed dude and an orange-haired girl right? That's Usopp and Nami."

"Ah, I see!" Dorry said gleefully. "Then I suppose I should thank you for this sake they gave me!" As Dorry raised a barrel high into the air and started to crack it open, Luffy's eyes widened, memories flooding his brain now that the dam holding them back had been shattered.

"Don't drink that, Dorry!" he shouted quite suddenly. Dorry looked at him in confusion and Luffy sighed, cursing his lack of attention to details. He hadn't given their movements a second thought. He should have realized that their auras were coming from the direction of his own ship at one point. How could he have missed that? It was probably because he had been focused on making sure they didn't get too close to any of the other auras on the island. Maybe he should have just followed them out and kicked their asses from the start, but he had been chatting happily with Dorry the entire time…

"Dorry, can I see that barrel for a minute? I have a bad feeling," he said. Dorry obliged, setting the open barrel of sake down next to him. Luffy carried it several meters away from that as they watched in confusion, wondering what he was doing. He then set it down, walked back to them, turned around, and spat across that distance into the barrel. The effect was instantaneous. The liquid exploded on contact with his saliva, blowing the barrel apart and shocking all wildlife in the area. Birds flocked out of the trees as Vivi and Dorry's expressions turned shocked.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Dorry shouted. Luffy turned back to him.

"The drink was rigged. We're not alone on this island," he said. Vivi's eyes narrowed.

"Is it them?" she asked. Luffy nodded.

"Who are them?" Dorry asked, now ashamed at having briefly suspected their guests of the treacherous act. He turned to Luffy. "You can use the power of Observation?"

Luffy nodded. "Can you sense them too?" he asked.

"It's not our specialty," the giant admitted.

"They're a criminal organization after our heads," Vivi explained. "I'm sorry, but it seems we may have gotten you involved."

"No, don't worry about it," Dorry said, waving his hand dismissively. Then he paused. "Actually, that may not be the case. You see, 100 years ago, Brogy and I both had bounties of 100 million Belly on our heads. I'm not sure if those are still active, but that could explain why they aimed for me first. Still, it doesn't make much sense. An explosion like that wouldn't be enough to take me down." Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Wait! Is Brogy—"

"No," Luffy interjected. "They won't make a move yet. I'm guessing that their plan was to let Brogy take you down during your next duel and then capture you both," he said, gritting his teeth as he said it.

"You mean they were trying to interfere with our sacred duel!?" Dorry shouted in outrage as he rose to his feet. "I'll kill them!"

"Wait," Luffy said, raising his hand to halt Dorry. "This is our problem. They followed us here, so it's our responsibility to deal with them." He grinned at Dorry. "We'll take it upon ourselves to defend the integrity of your duel." Suddenly, they heard the familiar sound of a volcanic eruption. "Besides, it sounds like you have somewhere to be," he said.

Dorry grinned in appreciation. "I'll leave it to you then, my friend. Now if you'll excuse me, I must uphold my honor for the 73,467th time. I'm feeling good about this one!" he roared, before trudging off through the jungle to meet Brogy again.

"Stay here, Vivi," Luffy said. Vivi looked like she wanted to protest, but complied. Luffy shot off towards the direction of the four enemy auras. It wasn't long before he came to a secluded region of the jungle and found a small building that seemed to be made out of 3's wax. He landed on the ground, walked up to the building, and knocked on the door. "3!" he shouted. "Come out of there! I'm here to kick your ass!" He waited patiently for a response, but to his annoyance, the four presences didn't even move. A tic developed over his eye and he shouted again. "Stop ignoring me, you assholes! I know you're in there!"

It was then that he heard faint whispering coming from inside the makeshift hideout. He was about to simply destroy the building when he sensed a presence running to the door accompanied by a spike of killing intent. He jumped back to avoid the explosion that blew the door off its wax hinges. "About time," Luffy said, dusting off his pants. "What am I, a frickin' door-to-door salesman?"

"I find your humor to be dry and tasteless," came a quiet voice from inside. Slowly, three more people walked out of the door to accompany Mr. 5, who was now standing outside the door with an angry scowl on his face. Mr. 3 looked at Luffy and continued. "I'm not sure how you found this place, but you're a fool to have come here alone."

"Whatever," Luffy scoffed. "Just answer the door faster next time. I don't have all day."

Mr. 3 frowned. "I'm afraid there will not be a next time. You are correct. You don't have all day. In fact, you don't even have five minutes. Your life was forfeit from the second you knocked on our door so nonchalantly."

Luffy was having trouble keeping his half-lidded eyes open. They started to drift closed and his head started to sag before he heard another voice shout at him.

"Hey! Are you paying attention, you straw hat bastard!?" Miss Valentine yelled. Luffy's eyes snapped open and he looked around frantically, trying to discern where he was. He looked back at the four slowly.

"Oh, it's just you guys," he said.

Mr. 3 was starting to get annoyed. "It appears you're an even bigger idiot than the reports indicated," he said.

"It's not my fault," Luffy whined. "Your voice is so monotone that it was putting me to sleep! Do you even need that wax stuff? You could win just about any fight by talking!"

Mr. 3 struggled to keep his composure as Miss Goldenweek broke out into a fit of giggles. He reigned in his anger and exhaled. "Monkey D. Luffy, bounty of 45 million Belly," he began. "Did you know that some people weigh a pirate's worth by their bounty?" he asked in distaste. "Pirates and even bounty hunters cower away from those with high bounties, interpreting them as an indication of the threat they pose." He looked Luffy dead in the eye. "I call them all fools. Only a true idiot draws attention to himself and wreaks havoc for the sake of fame. A true criminal works from the shadows, achieving his goals discreetly and efficiently. A bounty means nothing. Only the end result matters." He smirked. "Take the two us for example. My bounty is 24 million, and is far exceeded by yours. And yet, I've already won this fight," he said smugly.

Luffy looked at him with a deadpan expression. "If you think you're actually going to beat me by talking, I didn't mean you could really win that way, just so you know."

"That's not what I meant, you dumbass!" Mr. 3 shrieked in a high-pitched voice before regaining his composure. "You see, you've already fallen into our trap while listening to my_ monotone voice_. You might want to check your feet, Straw Hat," he said with a knowing smirk.

Luffy looked down and saw a circle painted on the ground at his feet. Confused, he looked back up to see the short girl who he assumed was 3's partner holding up a paintbrush. He stared in apathy, not quite getting it. "_**Colors Trap: Inactivity White**_," she said emotionlessly.

I thought that white was best for inactivity. I mean, I could say Inactivity Blank, but that does not roll off the tongue quite as well.

Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were both grinning widely now at the thought of revenge. Luffy still didn't have a clue what was going on. "You painted a circle on the ground. What's the big deal?" he asked. Miss Valentine burst out in laughter.

"You'll soon find out," she said with a wide smile. Mr. 5 started walking over to him.

"I owe you big time for what happened in Whiskey Peak," he said with a scowl. "Now, why don't you just stand there like a good idiot while I vent my frustration," he said. Luffy frowned.

_Why the hell would I do that?_

Miss Valentine watched in anticipation as Mr. 5 strode over to Luffy with his explosive fist raised high…

And got sent flying through a tree by Luffy's punch. The Baroque Works agents' jaws all dropped at the sight. They looked from Luffy, to Mr. 5's unconscious form, and back to Luffy.

"No, seriously," Luffy began. "Why would I just stand here and do nothing? If you're trying to use reverse psychology or whatever, you should have said something like _there's no way you can stand there and take our attacks without dying_!" He rubbed his chin in thought. "I may have actually taken that challenge, come to think of it…"

The agents continued to stare at him, dumbfounded. Miss Goldenweek's Colors Trap had _failed_? How? Why? Luffy just shrugged. "Now then…shall we?" Before anyone could react, Luffy outstretched fist collided with Mr. 3's face, and he was sent crashing through the wax hideout, unconscious. Miss Valentine finally reacted to the threat.

"Son of a bitch!" She reduced her mass to one kilogram and leapt at Luffy, her lightness increasing her speed. While in midair she changed her mass to 10,000 kilograms. "_**10,000 Kilogram Lunge!**_" Luffy casually grabbed her wrist, spinning on his heels, and bringing her in a circle despite her weight. He launched her at Mr. 5's unconscious body, which exploded on contact with the heavy projectile that was his partner in crime. The tree he was laying next to caught fire as the explosion went off, taking out Miss Valentine as well.

Luffy looked back at Miss Goldenweek as she started quietly and discretely walking away. "Where are you going, exactly?" he asked. She slowly looked back at him, sweat pouring down her face. "Lucky for you, I don't like hitting kids," Luffy said nonchalantly. Suddenly, she fell to the ground, unconscious and foaming at the mouth. His task accomplished, Luffy shot off in the direction of Vivi's aura. He sensed that she had met up with Nami and Usopp during Dorry and Brogy's fight. When he arrived, the two were still locked in a stalemate, neither giving the other an advantage.

Nami and Usopp saw his approach and looked at him nervously. "Luffy," Nami started. "Vivi told us the situation. Did you…?"

"Yeah, I took care of it," Luffy said with a grin.

"Oh, too bad," Usopp said as his legs shook. "The great Captain Usopp was looking forward to some action!" he lied. They all heard a loud crash and turned around to see Dorry and Brogy lying on the ground in exhaustion.

"73,467 draws," they said in unison as they panted heavily. Luffy walked up to them.

"Good fight, you two," he said happily.

"Yes, it was!" Dorry shouted. "Thank you, my friend. You have defended our honor just as you promised you would."

"Defended our honor?" Brogy asked in confusion. "How was it threatened?"

"I didn't want to tell you until after the fight," Dorry admitted. "Some humans on the island tried to sabotage our duel." He spat out the words distastefully. Brogy looked outraged, but Luffy assured him that he thoroughly kicked their asses and he calmed down.

"You're all an interesting batch of humans," Brogy commented. "Very well. You have my thanks."

* * *

Sanji walked through the jungle in the direction of the numerous explosions he had heard earlier. So far, his mission to stake out any enemies had gone smoothly…meaning he hadn't found any. But then he had heard the sounds of a struggle, and he couldn't exactly ignore _that_, now, could he? He eventually came to a clearing with a small, white building in the middle. What immediately drew his attention were the four unconscious people on the ground. "What the hell happened here?" he asked himself as he strolled through. He looked at two of them carefully before coming to the conclusion that they were the Baroque Works agents that had attacked them at Whiskey Peak. So, then, the other two were most likely part of the organization as well. He blew out a puff of smoke, wondering who knocked them all out. "Who am I kidding," he said aloud. "It was either Luffy or Zoro."

He decided to do some investigating and walked into the white building, noting that the door had been blown down. He took a look around and suddenly heard the sound of a transponder snail. He looked towards it as it rang and shrugged. Might as well. He picked up the receiver and spoke. "Hello, you've reached the shitty restaurant," he said nonchalantly. "What would you like to order?"

"Stop shitting around, Mr. 3," an emotionless voice said. "I've called to confirm the status of your mission."

"Mission?" Sanji said. "Who is this?"

"It's me, you dumbass. Mr. 0. Who else has this number?" Sanji was a little surprised at his information. Mr. 0 was the head of Baroque Works from what he'd been told. That meant that this was Crocodile, the Royal Warlord on the other line. Interesting.

"What's with the silence?" Crocodile asked. "I asked you a question. It's been awhile since I sent you your orders. Have you done away with Princess Vivi and her escorts or not? And have you confirmed that they were the Straw Hat Pirates?"

"Oh, yeah, them," Sanji said casually. "Yeah, it was the Straw Hats. But they're all dead as can be. Mission accomplished."

"I see. Good work," Crocodile said. "Due to the disappearance of the Unluckies, I've been forced to send a Billions ship to your location. They'll arrive soon with an Eternal Pose to Alabasta. It's time to carry out our most crucial operation. From now on, all communication will be by letter. I can't risk the Marines intercepting our calls from here on out. See you when you arrive." He hung up.

Sanji walked out of the house with a smirk. "Yep, mission accomplished."

* * *

Back at the Going Merry, the giants and the rest of the Straw Hats were throwing a party. Zoro had returned dragging ludicrous amounts of dinosaur meat behind him, and the giants had taken to preparing it. After checking all the sake for more bombs, they had let loose.

"Hey, where's Sanji-kun, by the way?" Nami asked as she took a sip of her drink.

"Oh, he went to stake out the jungle for enemies. He'll probably run into those agents that Luffy took down at some point," Zoro said.

"Actually, he already did," Luffy corrected. "And he's coming back right now." Usopp looked at him in envy.

"Man, that Haki stuff sure is useful. I can't wait until I actually make some progress on that…" It was then that Sanji came shuffling through some tree branches and made his way into the clearing.

"Oh, so you guys are back huh?" he asked. He spotted the giants and stared at them for a while. "That's new," he muttered. They both grinned widely at him.

"So, you're the other missing warrior! Welcome to the party," Brogy said.

"Nice to meet you, little human," Dorry said with a wave.

"No, no, pleasure's all mine," Sanji replied casually. He turned back to the crew. "So, are we ready to leave? It looks like we've got enough supplies to last a while."

"Oh, my God, that's right!" Vivi said in dismay. "The Log! It takes a year to set! How are going to get off this island?"

Sanji hummed thoughtfully. "I think I may have a solution." They looked at him in confusion and he explained that he had stumbled upon the enemy's base of operations, taken a call from the leader of the criminal organization that was out to kill them, impersonated his subordinate, and tricked him into thinking they were all dead. He blew out a puff of smoke. "He said he's sending a ship here with an Eternal Pose to Alabasta," Sanji said. Most of the crew stared at him in wonder. Luffy was laughing his ass off.

"So, basically, we wait for that ship to arrive, kick their asses, and take the Eternal Pose," Zoro concluded. "I guess all in all mission went well?" he asked with a smirk.

"You could say that," Sanji replied.

"Thank you so much! I was so worried! Sanji-san, I could hug you!" Vivi shouted with glee.

"Please feel free," Sanji said. Vivi's arms wrapped around Sanji's neck, and his eyes seemed to turn into hearts for a moment before reverting back to their neutral state when she detached.

"Oh,Oh, Sanji! Wait until you see all the meat Zoro caught!" Luffy said, his mouth watering. "You're gonna have your hands full!"

Sanji took note of the pile of prehistoric animals and whistled. "That is impressive. We should have a hunting contest sometime." Zoro blinked at this comment for some reason, and the giants' heads both perked up. _Hunting contest?_

It was while they were waiting for the enemy ship to arrive that Luffy caught sight of something extremely troubling. On the back of Vivi's neck was a large, purple bite mark. She was itching at it in irritation every once in a while. Luffy suddenly felt very nervous. It might not even be the same bug. It could just be a mosquito or something. _But what if it's not? _What if he had inadvertently caused Vivi to be bitten simply by coming back to the past and changing things? He tried to calm himself down. "Vivi?" he asked. She turned to him. "What's that mark on your neck?"

"Oh, that?" she asked. "I must have been bitten by some bug. It's been bothering me a little."

Zoro walked up and looked at it before exchanging a nervous glance with Luffy. "Vivi," he began, "you know this is a prehistoric island right? We have no idea what kinds of bugs thrive in these conditions. That might not be an ordinary bite. You should probably have someone look at it."

Nami narrowed her eyes at the words. The logic made sense even if she hadn't thought of it herself. It just seemed…so unlike Luffy and Zoro to be this cautious. What had them so worried? "Well, I guess I can get it checked out when we get to Alabasta," Vivi said.

Luffy and Zoro knew that it probably wouldn't be that simple, but they let it drop for now. What could they say?

Luffy, for his part, felt sick. He knew he couldn't have really prevented this. What was he supposed to do? Hover over everyone in the crew and make sure no bugs bit them? There were some things he couldn't control. Still, he felt guilty about what was most likely coming now.

* * *

Soon, the Billions ship arrived at Little Garden, only to be met by the Straw Hat Pirates and two giants. Realizing they'd been had, they attempted to make a call on the transponder snail, but everyone on the ship spontaneously fell unconscious. The ship was then looted for all it was worth, and the Straw Hats were able to secure a week's worth of rations, much to the pleasure of Luffy and Sanji, 200,000 Belly, much to the pleasure of Nami, and finally an Eternal Pose to Alabasta, much to the pleasure of everyone.

Before they set sail, Dorry and Brogy told them to sail straight ahead no matter what happened, and that they'd defend their flag just as their honor was defended. Luffy nodded, and told Nami not to change their course no matter what happened. They ended up getting swallowed by a giant goldfish, only to be set free by Dorry and Brogy's flying slashes. Finally, the Going Merry set sail for Alabasta as the Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy reminisced about memories long forgotten.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked the conclusion to Little Garden. Lost out.


	19. A Reason Not to Fight

I pulled something really stupid in chapter 17. The mistake has been fixed via editing, so naturally, I'm shouting it out to the fanbase rather than sweeping it under the rug because it's funny. I called the octopus shell that Luffy found an Omanyte instead of an Ammonite. A reviewer pointed out the distinction to me. Ammonite is the name of the extinct marine animal. Omanyte is a Pokémon based off of said marine animal. Needless to say I felt both nerdy and unintelligent at that moment.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. If I did, I wouldn't have to write all these disclaimers, and then I wouldn't be running out of ideas for said disclaimers. But I don't, and I am, so I guess I'll just have to make the beginning of my chapters even more captivating once I do.

* * *

Chapter XIX: A Reason Not to Fight

"_Kashu_. One of the 50 Skillful Grade swords," Tashigi said to nobody in particular as she stared at the blade in her hand in admiration. To think she'd come across a sword this rare so early in the Grand Line. Not only that, but she'd liberated the blade from evil's grasp. For a moment, she was in a state of reverie. She felt like she could get lost in the temper for hours. Nothing could ruin this wonderful moment—

"Tashigi! Stop going into ecstasy over your spoils of war and get your ass over here, you sword freak!"

"Y-yes, Captain Smoker!" Tashigi stumbled as she ran out the door towards the deck, but quickly caught herself, only to stumble again going down the stairs. She finally regained her balance and faced the Marine captain.

"Play it back again," Smoker said to the Marine next to him. "Listen carefully, Tashigi." The Marine pressed the button on the black transponder snail meant for intercepting calls, and it buzzed to life.

"Mr. 0…sent you your orders…Princess Vivi…Straw Hat Pirates?" a voice said. Then what sounded like a different voice mixed in said, "Yeah…Straw Hats…mission accomplished." The conversation was choppy with long pauses in between, and it was clear that some parts of it were missing.

"So, then, this is our first lead on the Straw Hat Pirates," Tashigi said seriously.

"Yeah," Smoker confirmed. "The source was too far away for us to intercept it clearly, but we can still make out a few key words from this call. _Mr. 0, orders, Princess Vivi, __Straw Hat Pirates_."

"Could Mr. 0 have anything to do with the Mr. 11 we've apprehended?" Tashigi asked.

"Good point. If those numbers are code names, we could be dealing with some criminal organization," Smoker speculated. Mr. 11's head perked up at this.

"Mr. 0? Are you really resorting to guesswork? I have no idea who that is. Just because our names are similar doesn't mean we have some connection," he said.

"Then how do you explain this letter we found in your pocket from a Mr. 0 with orders written on it?" Smoker asked emotionlessly. The man's eyes widened. _But I could have sworn I burnt that letter!_

"A-a-actually, about that letter—"

"What letter?" Smoker asked. "There was no letter in your pocket." Mr. 11 was reduced to tears. _Shit!_

_Interesting_, Smoker thought idly. _Princess Vivi is the heir to the Alabastian throne, but that country is in midst of a civil war. _He blew out a long puff of smoke. _Let's just see what the desert island has in store for us._

* * *

Usopp continued to stare out at the sea, still deep in thought. _I wonder if I can really be like them some day…?_

"Hey, Usopp! What are you thinking about? Is the sea that interesting?" Luffy joked.

Usopp spun around and pointed at him. "No, I _will _be!" he shouted, as if Luffy had been the one to express doubt on his behalf. "One day I'll visit Elbaf, the village of warriors, and prove myself! Count on it!" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, envisioning it.

Luffy hummed thoughtfully. "Sounds good to me," he said. Meanwhile, Vivi and Nami were discussing how much longer it would take to get to Alabasta. Nami noted that Vivi seemed to be a bit worn out. _I guess that's just what happens when you go adventuring with Luffy_, she thought with a mental sigh.

"Nami-san, Vivi-chan! I made some snacks for the journey ahead," Sanji said as he came down the stairs onto the deck, holding out a plate. He heard a sharp intake of breath and slowly turned his head to see Luffy practically drooling over the plate.

"Your share is in the kitchen," he said in an annoyed tone. Luffy jumped from the deck up to the kitchen door with Usopp scrambling closely after them. The only one not outside was Zoro, who was trying to get back into shape by lifting weights. Luffy had taken to doing that a lot as well, annoyed by the limits of his weaker body, but he didn't really have the attention span to train in such a dull way like Zoro did. He preferred sparring over everything else, really. The two had been doing a lot of that recently.

Luffy walked back out with a plate of food, and something worrisome caught his attention. Vivi was sweating and leaning against the mast of the Going Merry as if she was having trouble standing. Nami was shooting her troubled glances every few seconds, as if to make sure she wasn't about to collapse. Luffy jumped down and landed next to her.

"Are you all right, Vivi?" She looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

"I'm OK, Luffy-san. I guess I'm just a little tired after all that." Luffy walked closer to her and brought a hand up to her head. Her forehead was hot enough for him to feel the heat before he even touched her.

"You're burning up," he said quietly.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "It's probably just the effects of climate change. It'll wear off soon." Luffy knew that this was by no means true, and was about to argue when Vivi came loose from the mast that had been supporting her and walked away. Or at least she tried to. After a single step, she faltered, and would have fallen onto the deck if Luffy hadn't caught her. This quickly drew everyone's attention.

"Vivi-chan!" Sanji yelled in worry, setting down the plates in his hand and rushing over. Luffy helped her into a sitting position, but she now looked like she was fighting just to stay awake. Her breathing was heavy and labored, and her eyes half-lidded. Nami looked slightly panicked now.

"Sanji, help me get her to the bedroom," Luffy said. The chef quickly complied, and they carried her carefully, making no fast or sudden movements, as if moving her too quickly would make her condition worse. For all Luffy knew, it could. He sighed. He'd been pretty sure that this was coming, and he'd essentially been waiting for it, not knowing what else to do. He couldn't change their course to Drum Kingdom ahead of time. They'd gotten the Eternal Pose to that country from Wapol last time. He could only hope that he hadn't changed things too much and that they'd run into them again. If not, he would personally coat Vivi in a Haki shield and fly her there himself at speeds that would put even the Thousand Sunny to shame.

Once they got Vivi into a bed, Luffy walked out of the room and called Zoro down. Sanji was looking at Vivi with a grim expression, and once Zoro came in and saw her, his face matched the chef's. He shared a quick glance with Luffy, who simply nodded. "She has a high fever," Nami began. "If left alone, I think it could possibly become life threatening." She said this objectively, but her voice quivered at the end of that statement. "Dying of illness at sea is a common occurrence, especially in Grand Line conditions. We're going to need to find her a doctor." She paused. "We're still a week from Alabasta," she said quietly. "If she goes untreated until then…" she trailed off, a pained expression on her face. She remembered the newspaper that she'd hidden from Vivi.

It was either Vivi's life or her wish to save her country. They would have to risk one. If they risked the latter, Vivi might not forgive her. But if they risked the former, she might not forgive herself. She started trembling before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Luffy looking at her with a determined expression. His gaze spoke of unending resolve. "Don't worry, Nami," he said. "We'll save Vivi, then we'll stop the war. One thing at a time."

"But the Log Pose…" Nami protested. "We can't just abandon the course when all we have is one Eternal Pose! And she won't make it to Alabasta at this rate!" Her voice sounded desperate.

"Then I'll fly her to the nearest island. Whatever it takes," Luffy said firmly. As if his attitude was contagious, the looks on Sanji and Usopp's faces slowly became less uncertain and more decisive. They would _not_ let Vivi die out here before she even got to her country.

"N-no," Vivi suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to her in shock as she slowly and shakily pushed herself into a sitting position. Nami wondered how she could possibly have the energy to sit up with a temperature of 40 degrees C. "Continue our course," she said with difficulty. "We c-can't afford any d-detours." Nami, Usopp, and Sanji looked at her like she was insane. Luffy looked at her with an unreadable expression. Finally, he spoke.

"I'm not going to have a dead comrade on my conscience, Vivi," he said, making sure to phrase it as if it would be more of a detriment to _himself_ if Vivi died. It left a bad taste in his mouth, but he knew how Vivi's mind worked. She was more considerate of others she was of herself.

His words caused her to flinch, but she continued on. "Please, Luffy-san," she said between pants. "I know this is your ship…and it's not my decision, but…please." Luffy was silent for a few seconds. Then he walked up to her and gently helped her to lie down again before answering.

"Your greatest desire is to save your country. I know that," he said. "As captain of this ship, it's my job to protect not only its occupants, but their dreams and ambitions as well." He looked her in the eye. "So, I'll do anything to save your country," he said. Nami, Usopp, and Sanji looked at him with wide eyes, wanting nothing more than to protest the decision he had seemingly just made. But before they could, he spoke again. "And if that means saving your life first, I'll do just that without a second thought. There's no way we can save your country without you Vivi. You know that as well as I do. We're just pirates. Right now, my highest priorities are saving both your life and your dream, and right now, that means we need to find a new course. If you want to save your country, then you better make damn well sure you survive!" Vivi's eyes widened as she remembered Igaram telling her the exact same thing. Nami and Usopp both sighed in relief, and Sanji gained a newfound respect for his captain at that moment.

Luffy got up from his chair and walked out of the room, and Zoro spoke up for the first time. "I guess that's that then," he said. "Usopp, Sanji, stay here with Vivi. Nami, come out so we can discuss with Luffy what we need to do now." They all nodded wordlessly and did as instructed. As soon as Nami stepped out of the room, though, she froze. _This feeling. It's not a normal storm. Could it be…?_

"Luffy, we have an emergency!" she shouted. "We need to unfurl the sails and catch the wind from the portside!" Luffy turned to her and nodded. He and Zoro both altered their course slightly to account for Nami's instructions. About a minute later, they were rewarded with the knowledge that their ship wouldn't sink at the hands of the massive cyclone that manifested in the area that they had previously been sailing into.

* * *

For the next day, the Straw Hats delved back into their Haki training to take their minds off things, not knowing what else to do. They each took turns tending to Vivi, while Zoro stayed on the lookout for signs of an island, or of a certain dumbass king's ship for that matter. It was after about 21 hours that he spotted a familiar sight. "Hey, there's an enemy ship ahead!" he shouted down to Luffy, Nami, and Usopp. Usopp ran over to the rail and looked out over the sea.

"What are you talking about, Zoro? There's no enemy ship. Just a guy standing on the water." Zoro raised an eyebrow at him. "A guy…standing on…the water…" Usopp repeated, attempting to rationalize it.

"Standing on water?" Nami asked. "Is that even possible?" Luffy hummed in thought.

"Maybe in a parallel universe where ninjas blow up mountains with giant compressed balls of ninja energy," he said. His crew stared at him quizzically.

"Where did that come from?" Usopp asked. Luffy shrugged, not really knowing himself. Their ship finally came to a stop in front of the strange man who was still standing on top of the water as if it was a completely natural thing to do. Nami and Usopp stared at him with deadpan expressions.

"Quite cold today, isn't it?" the man commented. Usopp perked up as if he had just noticed.

"Yeah, it is pretty cold today," he said matter-of-factly.

"Hmm, I know, right?" the man said. The two continued staring at each other while the others watched silently. Finally, Usopp spoke.

"Sooo, how are you standing on the—"

He was interrupted by the sound of water being displaced and their ship being pushed back by the waves as a huge submarine emerged from the water. The submarine quickly converted to a regular ship when the roof reeled itself in. Suddenly the door to the Going Merry swung open and Sanji dashed out. "What are you guys doing!? All this swaying is going to…" He paused, taking a look around. He slowly lit a cigarette and took a drag before letting out a puff of smoke. "So," he said. "What's happening?"

"We're being ambushed," Luffy stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I figured…" Sanji said as several men aimed rifles at his face.

"Hmm, that makes five people. Is this crew really that small?" a fat man wearing white hippo fur said. "Well, not that it matters. I'd like to ask you all a question."

"What is it? We're in a hurry," Luffy said.

The man hummed. "We're on our way to Drum Kingdom," he said as he chewed on a large piece of meat. "But I guess we can take the time to loot your ship. Give us all your treasures," he commanded.

"No," Luffy said with a blank expression.

"Insolent commoner!" one of the intruding men shouted as he addressed Luffy. "You dare disobey the orders of King Wapol!? Know your place, trash!" Luffy turned to him with a glare, and the man froze in fear as his flesh chilled and his blood froze. He took a step back and fell backwards onto the deck, dropping his rifle.

"You can go jump into the sea now," Luffy said, in a simple tone that somehow conveyed that it wasn't really a suggestion. The man scrambled to his feet in terror and leapt over the railing of the Going Merry before a loud splash was heard. Luffy turned back to Wapol, who was staring after the man in annoyance.

"What the hell is wrong with that idiot?" he asked. "Well, whatever." He started to open his mouth. Luffy, whose Observation Haki alerted him to the fact that Wapol was about to eat part of their ship, promptly sent the man flying off of it with a kick. His men all stared in shock for a while before one of his officers spoke up.

"This is bad! His Majesty is an anchor! We have to go get him!" They all prepared to leave in panic, but Luffy spotted something of interest and stopped them.

"Hey, you!" he shouted to a man who he assumed was their navigator. "Is that an Eternal Pose?" The man turned to him in fear and stuttered out an answer.

"Y-yeah, it is." he said.

"Is it pointing to that Drum Kingdom place?" Luffy asked. The man confirmed his theory once again. "Cool," Luffy said. "Hand it over."

The man looked shocked. "Why the hell would I do that!?" he shouted. The answer Luffy provided him with was quite painful, and as Luffy looked over the Eternal Pose labeled _Drum_ in interest, Wapol's officer, the one who had been standing on the water, shouted after him.

"You bastard! We need that to get back to our home country! Give it back before we take it by force!" Luffy turned back to him.

"No, I'm actually going to keep this. You should probably go get that hippo dude by the way. He'll drown soon." The officer looked at him in outrage, knowing he was right, before shouting for Wapol's men to take them in the direction that their king had flown. As the ship pulled away, he shouted one more time over his shoulder.

"You better remember this! Don't you dare forget our faces!"

"We'll have our revenge one day!" the other officer shouted.

_I don't think I could remember them even if I wanted to_, Luffy thought sardonically.

* * *

With their course now set out for them thanks to the Eternal Pose Luffy had acquired, the Straw Hats finally had an idea where they were going. They started following the needle and after a couple hours it started snowing consistently. Nami theorized this meant that they were approaching an island, remembering a conversation she'd had with Vivi about the individual climates of islands in the Grand Line. After another hour, Sanji spotted land. A winter island from the looks of it.

When they got close to the island and got ready to dock, Luffy sensed hostile auras surrounding them and frowned, remembering what happened last time. Zoro suggested that they send a couple people to look for the doctor while the rest wait. They would only travel slower in a large group. Luffy and Sanji both volunteered to go. Only Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji noticed the crowd accumulating on the cliffs surrounding them. "Hey, we've got a welcoming party," Sanji said in a neutral tone that somehow didn't fail to convey his sarcasm.

"Stop right there, pirates!" They all turned to the authoritative voice. "Turn around at once and leave this island," the man said. "Your entrance will not be permitted."

"What?" Nami asked in shock. "You won't even let us dock? Please, we're looking for a doctor! One of our crewmates is dying!" Her voice seemed to falter at the end of that sentence. The man's eyes seemed to widen slightly at this as if it was something he hadn't been expecting, but the surrounding crowd just started shouting at them, rifles raised.

"Your lies won't fool us, scum!"

"We're not letting any damn pirates wreak havoc in our country!"

"Raise anchor and leave, or we'll make you!"

Sanji grimaced. "Well, that was a bad first impression," he commented.

"None of your smartass remarks!" one man shouted, firing once at Sanji's feet. Sanji barely avoided getting shot in the leg due to the guy's impulsive actions, and he immediately turned a glare towards the villager.

"So, you want to play big shot, tough guy?" Sanji muttered darkly. The man gulped but reloaded in response to Sanji's challenge, and Sanji took a step forward, but was held back by Nami and Usopp. Another gunshot went off. It was would have hit Nami in the back had it not rebounded off of Luffy's open palm. The villager seemed undeterred due to the fact that he hadn't successfully hit anyone yet, and continued firing. But the bullets were all either deflected or straight out blocked by Luffy's hand. The man ran out of whatever limited ammo he had, and gulped again. Some of the other villagers got ready to support him, and from the upper deck of the Going Merry, Zoro unsheathed his sword slightly.

Luffy gave the villager his own glare. "I think that's enough," he whispered. This time the man's reaction was much more profound. He dropped his empty rifle and stumbled back onto the snow, sweating despite the extreme cold. All of the other villagers had similar reactions, taking multiple steps back and some even dropping their weapons. Only Dalton seemed unaffected, but even he was taken aback by the fact that the determined villagers were somehow being threatened into submission.

He looked the pirate captain dead in the eye, and the man stared back, unflinching. For a long while they locked gazes, until the captain did something unexpected. He lowered himself onto his hands and knees and bowed his head to the ground. "Please," he said loudly. "We can't leave. If we do, our crewmate will die. Please help us!" The villagers seemed shocked that the man who had them all shamefully cowering just seconds ago was now bowing his head and begging for their assistance. It especially struck Dalton, and he relented first.

"We'll lead you into the village," he said. "Follow me." At those words, the crowd started dispersing. Luffy rose to his feet and Zoro sheathed what was visible of his sword.

"Sanji, get Vivi," he ordered. Sanji hastily did just that, realizing the tension had subsided, and when he returned with the sick princess, they all followed behind Dalton.

"Let me warn you beforehand," Dalton said. "There is only one doctor in this country." Most of the Straw Hats were shocked at this information. How could an entire country be home to only one doctor? Dalton stopped and turned back to them. "And they call her a witch," he added.

_Huh?_

* * *

A/N: If you're wondering why I had Vivi get sick instead of Nami, call it spur of the moment. I found it unrealistic that the same person would be bitten again. As it is, it's unrealistic that someone would be bitten by the same damn bug. The odds of it are pretty low when only one person was bitten last time. But having the same person get bitten would make even less sense.

Also, I thought it would be interesting if the Straw Hats had to choose between getting Vivi a doctor and getting to Alabasta when Vivi was insistent on the latter. What did you think of the way Luffy convinced her?


	20. The Witch Doctor

So, someone said it would have been interesting to see one of the guys get sick. I actually thought about doing that, but I decided it would just end with a similar interaction as in the manga, with Vivi quickly settling on finding a doctor first, and I wanted to experiment a bit. So, I decided to make it Vivi to put emphasis on how selfless she really is. Hence her being close to death and not wanting to change course. And it's not as if she wouldn't have said the same thing in the manga.

In addition to that, the males among the Straw Hats, as impossible as it sounds, all claimed to never get sick in the manga. I don't know if that extended to all illnesses though. Somehow I can't really picture any of them being immune to the illness that almost killed Nami. Except for Luffy after what happened in Impel Down. But I digress…

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. [Insert witty disclaimer joke here]

* * *

Chapter XX: The Witch Doctor

"A temperature of 42 degrees?" Dalton whispered in disbelief. "How can that be?"

"We'd like to know ourselves," Nami answered despondently. "It's been steadily rising ever since we realized she had a fever." Dalton stared down at the girl in awe. The fact that she was still alive was almost miraculous. What kind of life force did she possess?

"It doesn't matter if she's a witch," Luffy said firmly. "As long as she can cure her, it'll be enough." Sanji nodded in agreement. Dalton pointed out the window to the direction of several tall, white mountains.

"Those mountains are called the Drum Rockies. You might see a large castle at the peak of the one in the middle. That castle is currently vacant of a king. Dr. Kureha lives in that castle. She's the lone doctor in this country, whom its citizens call a witch."

Luffy nodded in acceptance. He really didn't care if she was crazy. That witch doctor was able to cure Nami last time. She knew her stuff, and the same could be said for Chopper. Sanji seemed to accept this easily enough as well and spoke up, "Then let's call her! If we wait much longer…" he trailed off.

"I wish I could," Dalton said regretfully. "But we have no way to contact her." Sanji's eyes widened, and he quickly explained. "She essentially treats people according to whim. She comes down from the Drum Rockies whenever she feels like it, treating the sick and taking whatever she wants from their homes as payment. According to eyewitnesses, she flies down from the Drum Rockies on a sleigh pulled by an unidentified creature."

Usopp was conspicuously freaking out over this new information. Nami looked disbelieving and even Sanji was having trouble taking it in.

"I guess we're going up that mountain, then," Luffy said as if it was that simple. Dalton stared at him apprehensively, but nodded.

"How can there only be one doctor in this entire country?" Nami asked doubtfully. Dalton hesitated, then started explaining how the country's previous king had nearly brought it to ruin. The Straw Hats were shocked at the mention of the word Wapol, remembering the man that had recently attacked their ship. After Dalton went on to explain how Wapol had purged the country of its doctors and essentially monopolized the treatment of the sick, Nami informed him that they had run into Wapol at sea shortly before arriving here. Dalton looked distressed after hearing this, saying that the country could very well fall to ruin if he returned now.

"But why is the former king of the country out on the sea pretending to be a pirate?" Usopp asked. Dalton's teeth clenched.

"Because he abandoned his country," he responded. He went on to explain the situation that the country was in and how it all started. He explained that without warning, the entire country had been ravaged by pirates. At mention of the name _Blackbeard_, Luffy's demeanor changed drastically. His fists clenched and his entire body started trembling with what could only be rage. Nami and Sanji both noticed. Nami absently snuck a glance at Zoro, whose eyes were narrowed.

That just about confirmed her suspicions. They knew the pirate in question. But how did they meet them? Could they have originated from East Blue as well? Luffy and Zoro had known each other for two and a half years before the formation of the crew. Could they have had a run-in with them during that time? She debated whether to ask, but Zoro spoke up before she could. "If this country was invaded by the Blackbeard Pirates, then there's not much that could have been done," he said. Dalton turned to him questioningly. "Unless the World Government decided to commit an unreasonably large force for relief, there's really no way you could have fought back," Zoro continued. "As crazy as it sounds, a small group like that can take down nations."

Dalton studied Zoro closely, taking his words into careful consideration. "You sound as though you speak from experience," he said finally.

Zoro just shrugged. "You guys are lucky our captain reacts relatively well to hostility," he said. Luffy shot him a look that clearly said _that wasn't necessary_, and Zoro shrugged again.

"I…see," Dalton said slowly. He turned back to the Drum Rockies, deciding to change the subject. "If you're serious about going up there, I suggest you climb up from the other side. This side of the mountain is inhabited by large, carnivorous rabbits called Lapahns," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Luffy said as Nami and Usopp carefully covered Vivi in a blanket and tied her to Luffy's back. "I won't be climbing." Dalton blinked at this and wondered what he meant by that, while Sanji sighed.

"I want to go with you," he said. "But with the way you travel, I'll just slow you down." He looked at Luffy determinedly. "So, take care of Vivi-chan, Luffy!" Luffy nodded firmly, and then turned to Zoro.

"One more thing, Zoro!" Zoro looked at him, but Luffy was silent. After a few seconds, Zoro raised his eyebrows. Luffy just grinned at him. Eventually Zoro sighed and shrugged. The rest watched this display in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Nami knew they were communicating _something_. She just didn't know what it was, or why they didn't want everyone else to know. The rest of them didn't really know what to make of the exchange. Nami sighed in exasperation.

Luffy gave Zoro a thumbs-up before he jumped high into the air. Dalton wondered for a split second what he was doing before he took another jump in mid air. Dalton's eyes widened. "He can fly? Is that a Devil Fruit?" Dalton asked.

"To be honest, I don't know how he does it," Usopp said. "But Luffy defies logic a lot. You learn not to question it." They watched as Luffy shot off into the air, going deliberately slow so as to not put too much pressure on Vivi, and eventually left their sight.

Soon afterwards, a villager came and informed Dalton that Dr. Kureha had been spotted in the neighboring village of Cocoa Weed. It took a few seconds for the rest of the Straw Hats to process this information.

_Oh,__ fucking hell._

* * *

It was about 10 minutes later that Luffy reached the top of the Drum Rockies. Slightly winded, he took several seconds to catch his breath. "Damn, I really am out of shape," he said matter-of-factly as he walked towards the castle. He slipped through the open door, careful not to bump into it as he caught sight of the bird's nest on top of it. Taking a look around, he absorbed the familiar sight. A small smile came to his face as memories of chasing a xenophobic, talking, transforming reindeer around the halls of the castle flickered through his mind. He smirked deviously. With a little of his Observation Haki, Chopper wouldn't stand a chance this time. It wasn't even fair, really.

He trudged up the stairs through the indoor snow and called out once he got to the top. "Hellooooooo?" He waited a full five seconds for a response before wondering what the hell he was doing, and reaching out for any auras in the castle. He frowned. There was no one here. That didn't make sense. As he widened his search to the full range of the mountain he was on, he began to get nervous. Time was ticking away as Vivi's condition worsened and here he was standing in an empty castle in the middle of nowhere mountain. He could get back easily enough, but if Chopper and his mentor were out right now, his greatest chance of finding them was waiting right here for them to come back. He would inevitably get restless, and watching Vivi suffering as he waited here doing nothing would be torture, but it was the best course of action right now.

With a resigned sigh, he started to look for the nearest patient room. He quickly found a room with several beds and untied Vivi from his back, laying her down on one. "Hang in there, Vivi. We'll get you treated in no time." Vivi's breathing seemed to have become even more labored since he last checked. He took a deep breath and forced himself to take a seat. That didn't last long, though, and he ended up pacing around the room after about 10 seconds._Hurry, Chopper._

* * *

Dalton sighed. This was just bad luck. They had missed Dr. Kureha by a few minutes. She would be on her way back to the castle by now. "What do we do now?" Nami asked. "Should we just hope that Luffy is able to meet up with her?"

"That's about all we can do, Nami-san," Sanji said worriedly. "I don't doubt that Luffy will make it to the top, but I wonder if he'll actually stay there once he realizes that the place is empty. It would be bad if he came back down and wasted that much more time." He frowned. "To top it off, the only one of us who can somehow guess what that guy is thinking half the time decided to go for a swim in the sub zero seawater."

"About that," Usopp said. "Is he really going to be OK? Sub zero water is just as hazardous as it sounds, if not more."

"He'll be fine," Sanji said dismissively. "It's Vivi-chan I'm worried about." Just then, a distressed civilian burst through the door to the bar they were in.

"Dalton-san!" the man shouted in panic, "We have a disaster in our hands!"

"What is it?" Dalton asked. "Is Kureha bankrupting the populace again?"

"Wapol has returned!" At those words, Dalton's face went pale before his eyes hardened with resolve. He stormed past the civilian and out the door as Nami and Usopp watched in apprehension.

"And now he's gone, too," Sanji said, smacking his forehead in annoyance. As Dalton ran, his face gradually elongated, his hands and feet morphed into hooves, and fur grew from every inch of his body. Soon he had taken the complete form of a bison, charging through the snow with the swiftness and grace that only his years of experience in doing so could yield. _Today, we end this, Wapol._

* * *

As Kureha and Chopper walked back towards the castle, Chopper froze. Kureha kept walking before noticing he wasn't following, and turned back to him. "What is it, Chopper?"

"I smell someone inside the castle," he said with trepidation. Kureha's eyes narrowed.

"Is it…?"

"It's not Wapol," Chopper said with certainty, guessing her question. "There are two people. I've never smelled either of them before."

"Well, let's go see who they are, shall we?" Chopper hesitated for a second before nodding. They made their way through the door, Chopper tilting his head up to make sure the birds were OK, and went up the stairs. From there, Chopper led them to the nearest patient rest area, and let Kureha lead the way from there, nervously walking into the room after her. The intruder looked like he had been expecting them, and a mix of happiness and relief spread across his face at the sight of them.

"Hi, there," he said. Chopper didn't respond, and Kureha, who otherwise would have reacted to his presence with hostility, took one look at the presence on the nearest bed and calmed down.

"It's OK, Chopper. It seems he's brought a patient." The man nodded.

"I'm Luffy. This is my crewmate. She's extremely sick. Could you take a look at her?" There was a hint of well-hidden worry in his voice.

"That is my job," Kureha commented idly as she looked over Vivi with a trained eye. After a few seconds and a touch to Vivi's forehead she frowned. "Her symptoms are unusual," she began. "I've never seen a patient with an illness like this before, but I have an idea of what's afflicting her nonetheless," she said.

Luffy's eyes widened slightly. She already had a potential diagnosis? He'd known this woman was good after the first time around…despite her quirks. But he hadn't known she was _that _good. The only other one he could think of that could do something like that was…well, Chopper from the future. Law came close, but he was more of a surgeon than anything.

"So, can you treat her?" Luffy asked.

"I believe so," Kureha concluded. "I just need to check through some notes to make sure my diagnosis is correct first. Come, Chopper." As Chopper followed her out, he glanced over his shoulder one last time at Luffy. Luffy grinned and waved, and Chopper hurriedly kept walking.

* * *

Wapol panicked, kicking and screaming as he clutched the wound across his midsection. "Damn you, Dalton! What the hell do you think you're doing, raising your weapon against your king!?"

"You are not longer this country's king, Wapol, just as I am no longer its officer! We must leave the past behind us!" Dalton yelled with conviction. "This land has no need for relics of the dark age!" Wapol's soldiers took a chance and started shooting at Dalton, only for the bison man to leap, vault, and spin over their fire in a surprising display of speed. They were cut down in seconds.

"What kind of arrogant nonsense are you spouting?" Wapol asked scathingly, ignoring the defeat of his lower ranked men. His confidence seemed to have been restored now that Chess and Kuromarimo were standing off against Dalton. As the 20 MDs patched up his injury, the pain made way for outrage at his once-loyal subject. "Who do you think you're talking to, fool!? This is _my_ kingdom you are living in!"

"No," Dalton said as he raised his weapon once again. "You have no place here. A kingdom that would abandon its people to their fates is better off destroyed."

"And who is going to destroy it, Dalton?" Kuromarimo asked in an annoyed, smug tone. "The three of us once acted as the Kingdom's Three Heads. You should know very well that you cannot beat both of us."

"And besides," Chess said as he pulled out three arrows, "We know your weakness all too well. Your compassion will be the death of you." Dalton broke into a sweat as he followed the aim of the arrows back towards the civilians who had rallied themselves to aid Dalton in the battle that he should, by all rights, be fighting alone. Without a moment's hesitation, he flung himself in the path of the arrows that he knew full well were meant for him even if aimed at the kingdom's people. The civilians watched in horror as blood stained Dalton's coat around the arrows embedded in his torso and he fell to his knees, reverting back from his hybrid form.

"You're a fool, Dalton," Wapol stated. "You were once my greatest officer, and look what kind of death you've chosen. It's truly a waste," he said as Chess readied two more arrows aimed at his vitals. The civilians ran to stop him, but weren't nearly fast enough. "Oh, well," Wapol said dismissively as Chess let the arrows fly.

Dalton's execution was interrupted by a sudden whirlwind of ice and snow that seemingly came out of nowhere. The arrows disappeared into the small blizzard, and two metallic clinks signifying the meeting of metal against metal could be heard over the spin of the snow, which forced Chess to shield his eyes. Just as quickly as it came into existence, it died down, and a lone man stood in front of Dalton with a single sword raised.

"Whew, just in time," the green-haired man said with a grin. "I almost got lost during my endurance training. Lucky I locked onto some auras."

You can easily claim that it's due to character development from the future, but I still feel I should point it out: Zoro would never admit that he got lost, would he?

"You! You're one of those pieces of trash we met on our way here!" Wapol screamed in fury.

"That's my line," Zoro said casually. "Aiming for those who can't fight to get a hit in on someone you can't beat? Pathetic."

Wapol ground his teeth in anger. "Chess, Kuromarimo," he seethed. "I want to see this commoner dead at my feet." As the civilians got over their shock at seeing a pirate defend their country and started to haul Dalton's unconscious form away, the two officers wordlessly got ready for a fight, and Zoro smirked.

"I guess we can't all get what we want."

* * *

Vivi slowly opened her eyes and blinked as they watered under the glare of the light. She felt…surprisingly well. She slowly sat up, noting that it was far easier than the last time she attempted it, and took a look around. She spotted a small, strange creature that looked like an odd mix between a deer and a raccoon...except it was bipedal. And it was sorting books on a shelf. _Sorting books…?_ _Could this thing be…? _Deciding to forego all attempts to classify the creature, she quietly addressed it. "Um, excuse me?" At the sound of her voice, the creature quickly spun around and jumped backwards into the bookshelf, knocking everything over. Vivi winced as it came crashing to the floor. The creature then shot for the doorway, but instead of leaving, it hid behind it. Well, sort of.

"I think you're doing it wrong. You're supposed to face the other way," she said politely. _Not that I'm an expert on the subject_, she added mentally. The creature quickly corrected itself, hiding its body behind the door with its head sticking out in a mix between fear and curiosity. "I can still see you, I'm afraid," she said in slight amusement. "In fact, I saw you from the beginning."

"Shut up!" the creature yelled suddenly. "I don't take advice from humans!" He paused. "By the way, how's your fever?"

"Much better, thank you," Vivi replied, suppressing her initial reaction. This confirmed her suspicions from before. If it, or rather, he, she assumed, could sort books on a shelf, then he had a degree of intelligent thought similar to that of a human. But if he could talk as well, then that meant that despite his appearance and his evident scorn for them, he was a little human himself. "If you don't mind me asking," Vivi began slowly. "What kind of animal are you?"

His eyes widened and he broke into a sweat at hearing that. Evidently deciding he would have no more of this, he called out. "Doctorine!"

"Keep it down in there, Chopper!" a low feminine voice called out. A woman of gray hair and old age walked into the room, and the creature made a break for it. The woman snickered. "Looks like your fever has gone down quite a bit, girl. How are you feeling?"

"Better than I have in days," Vivi replied. "Are you the one who treated me?" The woman poked her in the forehead rather than responding.

"38 degrees, not bad," she muttered before taking a swig of the sake bottle in her hand. Vivi was impressed that she could discern her exact temperature with a touch.

"And no," the woman continued. "Chopper is the one who nursed you back to health."

"Chopper?" Vivi asked in confusion. "Is he…?"

"He's that little reindeer you startled," the woman confirmed. "I'm Doctor Kureha, his mentor. You can call me Doctorine."

"Doctorine, would you mind telling me…"

"What? You want to know the secret of my eternal youth?" she asked with a grin.

"Um, maybe later," Vivi said. "Where am I exactly?"

"Drum Kingdom," Kureha replied. "More specifically, the castle atop the Drum Rockies."

"Drum Kingdom…" Vivi repeated. She knew of the country, but not much about it. Was she here alone? Where was the rest of the crew?"

"If you're wondering about the one who brought you here, I had him relocated to another room." Kureha supplied.

"And…who was that exactly?" Vivi asked sheepishly. Kureha grinned in amusement.

"A young man named Luffy. Wears a straw hat. He was quite the character. He ascended the mountain like it was no big deal. When I asked him how he did it, he replied that he flew. I was skeptical, but how else could he get up here without a scratch?"

Vivi's eyes widened. So, Luffy had brought her here. That meant the crew had found a new route and Luffy had brought her to a doctor personally. "My, you must have really been out of it," Kureha said. "But I guess that's to be expected. You were bitten by Kestia, after all."

"Kestia?" Vivi repeated.

"It's an extinct species of tick that carries a lethal strain of bacteria. If one is bitten by it, symptoms of the infection include a fever of 40 degrees or above, intense pain throughout the entire body, and death after 5 days. You were on your third day it seems." Vivi gulped as she rubbed the spot on her neck that she had once dismissed as a simple mosquito bite. "Honestly, you're lucky I kept the antibiotic to that strain of bacteria. It's been extinct for over 100 years. I'd love to know how you spent _your_ week," Kureha continued. "Were you running around on a prehistoric island or something?"

Vivi gave her a small, sheepish smile. "I'm afraid so," she admitted. Kureha threw back her head and laughed.

"Is that so? Well, hopefully you at least covered up. That can help sometimes, though I guess it didn't quite do much for you in this case since you were bitten on the neck."

"I see," Vivi said. "Then, if the illness has been treated, I suppose I can get discharged soon?" she inquired, thinking about how long it would take to get to Alabasta now.

"Depends what you mean by soon. Even if the bacteria has been killed and the fever has gone down, your body is still in a delicate condition, and the infection still needs to be monitored. With most cases of Kestia treatment a patient would have to take 10 days to heal even if they survived." Vivi's eyes widened in horror upon hearing this. "But don't worry, that 100-year-old medicine pales in comparison to my modern day treatment. You'll be fine to leave after three days at most."

"Three days? I can't wait that long," Vivi said. "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but seeing as we're in a rush, I'll take my chances." She attempted to get up from the bed as she said this, but Dr. Kureha stopped her, swiftly grabbing a scalpel and pushing her back down onto the bed, holding the blade against her neck and shocking her out of her wits.

"There are only two circumstances under which I discharge my patients," she said with a low voice. "When they're healed, or when they're dead." She smirked. "So, pick one."

Vivi's gaze hardened. "I don't care if you threaten me," she growled. "My country is awaiting my return. I can't afford to stay here for three days!"

"Well I'm sure there's a story behind that," Kureha said. "Not that it interests me, but will you be any use to your country if you're dead?" she asked as the blade of the scalpel gleamed in the light. Vivi gritted her teeth, knowing the logic was sound, but this was pretty difficult to accept considering how irrational Doctorine was being about her discharge. She was about to speak when a voice made itself known in the doorway.

"You're not really going to kill her after she just got better, are you?" They both turned to the doorway (in Vivi's case, as much as she could without getting her throat cut), to see a familiar presence.

"Luffy-san!" Vivi exclaimed.

Kureha scoffed. "Well, that depends on her," she said in a bored tone before getting up and tossing the scalpel back onto the table. Vivi sat up, wondering how she could get out of this mess when Luffy spoke up again.

"Actually, it depends on me," Luffy said with a smirk. "I won't let you kill her that easily you know."

"Oh?" Kureha said, smirking back at him. "Quite the confident brat, aren't you?" Luffy shrugged.

"If I thought you were really going to do it, you'd know why by now," he said simply. Kureha scoffed again.

"Whatever, brat. Like I said, she leaves when she's fully healed or not at all. And I'll be taking all the money on your ship as payment for my services, unless you can somehow change my mind in the next three days."

"I'll get right on that," Luffy said. "By the way, we're going to have company soon." Kureha raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean company?"

"Feels kind of like a hippo riding another hippo," Luffy said cryptically. Kureha's eyes narrowed at the description. Just then, Chopper burst through the door, looking panicked.

"Hey, what's up, Chopper?" Luffy said jovially. The human-reindeer hybrid ignored him and addressed Kureha. "Doctorine! Wapol's coming up the mountain! I can smell him!" Kureha stared at Luffy in suspicion. He had caught on to Wapol's approach around the same time as Chopper. Possibly even before. Either that or he'd already known he was coming. She didn't really want to think too much about the latter option right now.

* * *

In the outskirts of Bighorn, Zoro looked down at the bloody, beaten forms of Chess and Kuromarimo in annoyance. "It's like just anyone thinks they can fight me these days," he said to no one in particular. "At least in the New World people generally had a feel for someone's else's strength. I can't believe I had to fight these idiots to get the message across to that dumbass king." He grunted in annoyance. "And to top it off I let him get away." Zoro sighed, thinking back on Luffy's unspoken orders. _Don't take out the hippo guy he says. Leave him to Chopper he says. What is that idiot thinking? _Well, he didn't feel like trying to puzzle out Luffy's whims right now, so he started walking back to Bighorn to check on the other Straw Hats.


	21. A Sailing Circus of Monsters

One perk to writing a story like this is that reviewers give me recommendations. And by recommendations I mean critical comparisons between other stories and mine which I happily take as recommendations. Anyway, I am now reading Once Again and New Game Plus. If any of you like One Piece time travel stories in general, I'd also recommend those two.

7/10/15: Oh, and Second Chance too.

Disclaimer: Have you ever owned a huge puzzle that took you ages to solve, and when you finally solved it you realized you were missing One Piece? Take that negative feeling and multiply it by a thousand. That's how I feel knowing that I don't own that One Piece. God this one was bad...I don't own One Piece.

Chapter XXI: A Sailing Circus of Monsters

Wapol's face was a mix of terror and fury as he faced the three commoners who refused to let him pass. He still hadn't gotten passed his fear at seeing his best soldiers brutally beaten barehanded as if they were nothing. After seeing that he had made a break for the Drum Rockies, intent on reaching the safety of his castle. If Chess and Kuromarimo had to be sacrifices to ensure his well being, then so be it.

But upon ascending the mountain, he had found his passage to his own castle blocked by the sole surviving doctor of Drum Kingdom, the yeti that had tried to attack him 6 years ago before being stopped by Dalton, and that infuriating pirate who had had the audacity to kick him into the sea and steal his Eternal Pose. In short, he was surrounded by treason. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He now had no choice but to take his country back himself. His subordinates may have been thrashed, but he was the king. He couldn't be beaten by _commoners_. He had the divine right to rule by blood.

"Get out of my way!" Wapol commanded. "What right do you have to so casually take residence in the king's castle, you witch?"

"King's castle?" Kureha repeated with an innocent expression. "You must be mistaken. When I found this castle it was completely empty. It was clearly abandoned. So I took it."

"Well I'm claiming it back!" Wapol screamed in outrage. "So unless you want to be executed, leave my home!"

"Letting us off so easily?" Kureha said with a smirk. "That seems unlike you. I'd go as far as to say you're out of your comfort zone without those two brats following you around and fighting your battles for you. Where are those idiots anyway?"

"So it looks like you really intend to defy me," Wapol said quietly. "It doesn't matter if Chess and Kuromarimo have been defeated! I'll take back my kingdom on my own!" He seemed irrational at this point. Kureha frowned. _Defeated? Those two?_ Wapol's two head officers were sole reason why the populace had been helpless against Wapol's tyranny. Dalton could stand up to them, but even he couldn't take them both at once. The only one in all of Drum Kingdom that could achieve such a feat...was her own medical apprentice. Kureha's eyes idly wandered over to the kid with the Strawhat that was standing next to them, seemingly without a care in the world. Something clicked in her brain. He had called her current patient his crewmate. That meant he wasn't alone.

She was broken out of her thoughts as Wapol finally made his move. He charged forward, most likely intent on swallowing them whole. He was intercepted by Chopper who met his charge in his reindeer form before shifting into his full zoan form as he tackled Wapol. The king fell back with Chopper hovering over him. His fist was reared back, ready to strike, but he didn't. He hesitated, then spoke. "Doctor was convinced that even you were worth saving," he said quietly before raising his voice. "If you leave now, I won't hurt you!"

Luffy pouted. That wouldn't end well. He wanted to see that punch happen. Kureha called out to him, calling him a fool, and Wapol, though confused, took the opportunity to extend his jaw and attempt to bite Chopper. He bit into thin air though, and looked up to see the reindeer being yanked back by an outstretched arm.

"You! So you've eaten a devil fruit as well?" Wapol shouted. Chopper looked at Luffy in uncertainty.

"Um...thank you," he said. Luffy grinned and flashed him a thumbs up before speaking.

"I can tell you want to beat this guy, but you're hesitating," he said. Chopper's head perked up at this, and Kureha watched intently. "You want to save this country right?" Luffy asked. Chopper nodded eagerly. This was the country that Doctor had been so intent on saving. Even if it had caused him to suffer, he would carry on that last wish of his. "Then you can't do that," Luffy continued. "You can't hesitate. I know you think that everybody has the potential to bring good to the world, but if you want to make a difference, you have to be firm in your resolve." Chopper pondered this statement as he thought back to the conversation he had had with this human earlier that day.

"_Wait up, reindeer!" Luffy shouted as he chased Chopper down the hall. The human reindeer kept running, crying hysterically in reaction to being chased by a human. _

"_Leave me alone, you damn human!" he yelled in fear. _

"_No way! You're not getting away!" Luffy yelled jovially. Finally Chopper turned around changed into his zoan form. _

"_I said, get lost, jerk!" he shouted, ramming Luffy's head with both fists. Luffy's head rocked back and his neck seemed to stretch before Chopper's eyes. He looked on in shock. He hadn't hit him _that_ hard!_ _His rising guilt at seemingly having just broken someone's neck was replaced by fear again when the man's head snapped back into place and he looked back at Chopper, grinning._

"_Won't work!" he yelled. Chopper fell back. _

"_What kind of human are you!?" he asked. Luffy responded quickly to the routine question._

"_I'm a rubber man," he said simply. Chopper suddenly understood. He had eaten a devil fruit. Did that make this guy a monster, like him? _

"_What do you want from me?" he asked indignantly now that he'd finally been caught. _

"_I already told you! Join my pirate crew! We need a doctor," Luffy said. Chopper found the offer to join a pirate crew very interesting but suppressed his interest. Just because he was a pirate, that didn't change anything. _

"_I won't!" he said. "I know what you humans think of me. You all think I'm a monster!" he shouted. Luffy just kept smiling at him._

"_Yea, you're a monster," he confirmed without hesitation. Chopper gritted his teeth. He had come to expect this reaction, but that didn't make it much easier to hear._

"_But who cares? So am I," Luffy continued. Chopper looked at him in slight curiosity. _

"_What kind of idiot calls himself a monster?" he asked. _

"_Well, I can't really deny it at this point," Luffy said in an amused tone. "Even my crew says it to my face." The casual way that he admitted something like that confused Chopper, who blinked in surprise. He couldn't imagine Doctor or Doctorine ever calling him a monster. They were the only ones who had ever accepted him. _

"_Your own crew? And you're ok with that?" he asked, his usual shyness overridden by his confusion. _

"_Of course!" Luffy said with conviction. "Being a monster just means that I can protect them better. If I had to choose between being a monster who could protect what was precious to me and a normal human who couldn't be relied on, I'd choose monster without a second thought. That's why I strive to become stronger!" Chopper froze at these words. He had never thought of it that way. He had things he wanted to protect as well. Was that what he had to choose between? Being accepted and being able to protect what was precious? If so, he couldn't really fault this guy's logic. He would choose to be a monster as well. Every time. _

Chopper brought his gaze back to Wapol and his eyes became focused. _There's so much I have to learn if I want to protect them_, he thought. _I didn't know there would be this much to it_. He slowly pulled a small yellow ball out of his pocket and stared at it. _Being a monster just means I can protect them better. I'd choose monster without a second thought. _The words echoed in his mind and his eyes hardened. He tossed the pill into his mouth and chewed.

"_**Rumble**_."

Kureha watched in fascination as Chopper's entire demeanor changed. When had he become so determined? It was as if his troubles had disappeared. She snuck another glance at Luffy. "Why did you come out here, kid? Just to give pep talks?" she asked. Luffy turned to her and grinned.

"Oh, I'm just here to watch the show," he said as Chopper charged forward in Walk Point. Wapol was taken aback by his sudden increase in speed but was ready this time.

"It won't work! You forget that one of my officers used to be a zoan as well! I already know how your power works!" He knew the reindeer was going to change to his zoan form to throw another punch, and got ready to swallow him whole. He was quite surprised when instead he changed into a new form, one with huge horns. His eyes widened before his mouth got caught on the large antlers and Chopper continued, undeterred. Wapol began sliding through the snow until Chopper finally bucked, sending him sailing through the air. He landed and continued sliding, coming to a stop just short of the cliff, before getting up again.

"So then that's your hybrid form. Well, now I've seen them all," he said as he wiped the blood off his chin. Luffy smiled wryly, his expression a mix of _I know something you don't know_ and _you're about to get fucked_. This did not escape Kureha's notice.

"Behold! The true power of the baku baku no mi!" Wapol yelled, as he transformed into what appeared to be a house with cannons for arms. This surprised Chopper, but he pressed on. He couldn't afford to waste precious rumble time. As Wapol aimed both cannons at him, he quickly switched to Guard Point. The small cannons hit him dead on, only to have no effect. He switched to Jump Point and leapt right at Wapol, who was stunned at having seen 5 different forms now, before switching to Arm Point after the jump.

"Kokutei, Roseo!" Chopper's hooves embedded themselves into Wapol's stomach, leaving a visible imprint. Wapol coughed up blood and stumbled back, but regained his balance. He glared at Chopper in outrage and aimed his cannons at him again. This time Chopper dodged the aim using Jump Point, soaring high above Wapol's head. Wapol looked up in surprise as he increased his weight using Heavy Point and fell upon him like a boulder. Wapol raised his cannons too late and Chopper landed another hit.

"Kokutei, Diamond!" Wapol grit his teeth as he was plunged deep into the snow. 6 forms now? When would it end? He didn't have time to think about it though, as Chopper was preparing for another attack. As he charged, Wapol raised his cannons and shot from his awkward position. Chopper switched once again to Guard Point and winced at the impact, knowing he couldn't take too many hits like that. He landed and finally switched to Brain Point, which only seemed to infuriate Wapol more as he pulled himself out of the snow. 7 forms.

"Scope," Chopper whispered as he scanned for Wapol's weak point. He soon found it and chastised himself for not realizing it sooner. "It's over," he said confidently. "You won't get up after this next attack."

"Keep dreaming reindeer," Wapol growled. "Your pathetic attacks won't bring me down." Chopper wasted no more time. He had 30 seconds left. He switched back and forth between Walk Point and Jump Point as he dodged the aim of the cannon fire. Finally he jumped right into Wapol's face and switched to Arm Point one last time. Wapol grinned.

_Fool. Going for my face is suicide! _He opened his mouth wide and attempted to crush Chopper between his jaws, but Chopper was undeterred, having expected it. Before he could chomp down, Chopper sank his hooves into the back of Wapol's throat. "Kokutei, Cross!" Wapol choked upon impact, and his eyes rolled back into his head before he fell backwards onto the snow, unmoving. Chopper sighed. _3 minutes_, he thought with satisfaction as he changed back to his hybrid form, panting lightly.

"Nice one, Chopper!" Luffy called out. Chopper looked at him in surprise, before a sheepish, happy expression came onto his face.

"Shut up! Complimenting me won't make me happy, you bastard!" he said in a very happy tone. As he swayed back and forth comically, Kureha contemplated what had just happened. This man was most likely the cause of Chopper's sudden boost of confidence. That was the only explanation. Not only that, but he seemed to have a large amount of confidence in the reindeer, as if he knew he'd win. Where had that come from? She had overheard one of his attempts to recruit Chopper into his crew of pirates. She idly wondered if he'd be successful. The wound in Chopper's heart couldn't be easily healed, but considering the progress he already seemed to be making, it didn't seem so farfetched. Chopper seemed...more comfortable in his own skin.

"Dalton-san, that's Wapol!" Kureha turned to the voice and saw Dalton and a group of villagers arriving at the top of the mountain in the cable lift. Most of them were staring at Wapol's unconscious form in shock. Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, who had also arrived, were all coming to similar conclusions, except for Zoro who had a contemplative look on his face as he noted the hoof imprints on Wapol's torso.

"Doctor Kureha!" Dalton called, turning to the amused woman. "What happened here? Who subdued Wapol?"

"That would be my apprentice," Kureha said, pointing to the human reindeer who was currently hiding behind a tree with his entire body exposed. The Strawhats were a bit confused, having assumed it was Luffy. Dalton's eyes widened as he recognized Chopper.

_He's the one who tried to attack Wapol after the death of Dr. Hiluluk. Is he really the one who defeated him? _When the realization hit him, he fell to both knees. Chess and Kuromarimo had been defeated as well. This meant that finally, their country could be reborn. He bowed his head to the ground and faced Chopper. "You have my thanks! Now we can start anew!" The reindeer looked startled and unsure of what to do in the face of his gratitude...until the villagers started freaking out over the sight of him. Once the word _monster_ was let loose despite Dalton's discouragement, Chopper stepped out with a pained but resolved look on his face.

"So what if I'm a monster!?" he shouted. "Even if I am, if I can protect everybody, I'm satisfied! Even if I can't be with everyone or make friends, if I can keep Doctor Hilukuk's dream alive, I have no regrets!" The villagers were stunned at this, not only at the fact that the alleged monster was talking to them, but also at what it was conveying. Dalton wore a pained expression at the thought of Hiluluk death. The man had given his life to keep hope alive in Drum Kingdom, but here was his successor right in front of them, having vanquished the tyrant that threatened the man's dream, claiming that he would gladly live the life that had been forced on him if it meant protecting those that had forced it on him. The people who claimed that Dalton was this country's savior knew so little.

"What are you talking about, idiot?" a voice came, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Of course you can make friends! Take a good look," he said as he walked up and stood beside his crewmates. "We're your friends from now on, and there's one more of us too, so get used to it! Now get over here and join our crew already!" The Strawhats all perked up and took a good look at Chopper.

"So that little guy is joining our crew?" Nami asked. "Is he a doctor? We really need one."

"Bit of an oddity isn't he?" Sanji commented. "Well, not that I care."

"What's with the weird nose?" Usopp asked hypocritically.

Zoro stayed silent, simply taking a long look at Chopper as the reindeer stared at Luffy in shock before finally shaking his head stubbornly.

"I can't!" Chopper yelled back. "I want to, but it's impossible! I'm not like you!" Regret filled his voice as the words left his mouth.

"Who cares!" Luffy shouted back with stubbornness in equal measure. "You think any of us are normal? We're all a sailing circus!" Before anyone could attempt to refute this statement, Luffy pointed at Zoro. "I mean look at this guy! My first mate drinks all night, sleeps all day, and then claims he doesn't get hangovers!" Zoro let this comment slide as he continued to observe Chopper. Luffy pointed to Nami next. "You ever heard the phrase _put your money where your mouth is_? Well our navigator puts her money where her eyes are! I have no idea how she does it to this day!" Nami had half a mind to interrupt his rant with a solid punch, but sighed, knowing full well that he was right. Luffy moved on to Usopp. "Our sniper could lie a thousand times during a lie detector test, and if his lies weren't so ridiculous, you'd never even know he was lying!" Usopp swelled with pride and stood straighter, taking this as a compliment. Luffy then pointed at Sanji. "And our chef will kick you through a wall for chewing with your mouth open while simultaneously flirting with the first woman he lays eyes on!" Sanji shrugged indifferently, not bothering to deny it. Luffy pointed to himself. "And me, I'm the most monstrous guy you'll ever meet in your life, so don't act like that doesn't make you a contender!" Finally, Luffy pointed at Chopper. "So give me one good reason why you shouldn't join our crew and come on adventures with us!"

Chopper's eyes had been filling with tears throughout this speech as his shell of stubbornness started to crack. "But I'm a reindeer! I have hooves and antlers! And a blue nose! Don't you care?" he asked doubtfully.

"Reindeers are cool, your hooves and antlers have proven useful, and your blue nose is funny!" Luffy said with a straight face. Chopper's jaw dropped as his remaining reasons for not joining were shot down one by one. "So no, I don't care," Luffy concluded. "Now shut up and let's go!"

A dam seemed to break at these words, and Chopper was reduced to a fit of hysterical crying. The villagers and Dalton, who had stayed silent throughout the confrontation, looked on in wonder. From behind the castle wall, Vivi smiled faintly, having heard the entire thing.

"Will you stop your infernal crying and make up your mind?" Kureha said with a scoff. "Are you going or not?" Chopper attempted to compose himself and turned to her.

"I'm sorry Doctorine. I...I want to go with them," he said as he sniffed. "I appreciate everything you've done for me over the years, and I'll never forget it, but…" he trailed off as the goodbye became too much for him.

Kureha waved her hand. "Fine. Good riddance then," she said nonchalantly. Inwardly, her heart clenched as she turned away from him and walked back to the castle. On the way, she crossed paths with Vivi, who was trying to cover up her attempts to sneak away. They locked eyes and Kureha looked at her with a blank expression as Vivi started to sweat.

The Strawhats heard a crash coming from the castle accompanied by what sounded like Vivi screaming frantically. Luffy let out a loud laugh as Nami, Usopp, and Sanji stiffened in worry.

"Oh yea, there's still that. Be right back." He walked toward the castle. "Get everyone onto the ship while I get extract Vivi," he said. The Strawhats looked hesitant, but complied and headed down the mountain via the cable lift.

Luffy headed into the castle to find Vivi struggling to escape the grasp of Kureha, who had her pinned to the floor.

"As much as I'd like to see how this plays out, we really need to get going soon," he informed the doctor. Kureha turned to him in annoyance.

"Going? Don't be ridiculous. I meant it when I said that my patients don't leave until they're healthy or dead. And don't forget about my payment either. Once she's completely cured, I'll expect full compensation," Kureha said.

"About that," Luffy began. This next move would make him feel really guilty, and he wouldn't pull it if he didn't know that they had to get to Alabasta fast. "Since it was actually Chopper who treated her, and he's our crewmate now, doesn't that mean we should just discuss the matter of the fee with him?" Kureha's eyes narrowed, as she had an idea where this was going. "And since she's technically his patient and not yours, that means she can leave as long as Chopper monitors her condition on the ship, doesn't it?" Kureha gritted her teeth, but got off of Vivi.

"I guess I can't argue with logic, now can I?" she said before scoffing. Luffy tossed her a small metallic object, which she caught on reflex. "This is…"

"They key to the armoury," Luffy confirmed. "I got if off of Wapol's unconscious body. Figured you might want it."

"Well, isn't that great? You take my assistant and smart talk your way out of payment, but at least I've got this, right?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Get out of here kid," she said as she turned around. "Never come back if you know what's good for you." As she walked away, Luffy called after her, his voice serious now.

"Thank you for everything," he said sincerely. "I promise I'll do what's best for him and help him fulfill his dream." Kureha froze in place, and Luffy noticed that she had started to tremble. Suddenly she spun around.

"I told you to get the hell out of here, you fucking brat! Now leave before I change my mind!" she shouted with bloodshot eyes. Luffy signaled to Vivi and the two quickly made their way out of the castle. When they got to the edge of the mountain, the lift was already gone. Luffy hoisted Vivi onto his back, and Vivi paled as she realized how they were going to get down. She resisted the urge to scream as Luffy took them across the mountain side and down to ground level using geppou.

When they finally got back to the Going Merry, she was panting furiously. As they made their way onto the ship, Luffy noticed Chopper's troubled expression. He didn't know what the reindeer was thinking about, but he had a hunch that whatever loose ends he was dealing with would be tied up soon.

"I'd keep an eye on that mountain if I were you, Chopper," he said with a grin. Chopper looked up at him curiously, and then turned back to the Drum rockies. It wasn't long before the all of the snow in a large circular vicinity of the center mountain turned pink from whatever chemical was adhering to it. From this distance, the entire mountain bore a striking resemblance to a massive sakura tree in full bloom.

"Damn," Usopp whistled.

"Wow," Vivi breathed in awe.

"It's amazing," Nami said.

"You said it," Sanji said as he looked up at the sight.

Chopper, unable to contain himself, burst out crying again, and continued to do so even as their ship pulled away from Drum island.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's the conclusion to the Drum arc and Chopper's departure. What'd you think?


	22. Option Two

Sorry this chapter took a while. I decided to take a short break from Second Wind to focus on other things. One of those other things was actually a different story. So if you guys like this fic and/or are Naruto fans as well, I'd recommend trying my new story: Nindo Reborn, which is on its second chapter. Without further ado, enjoy chapter 22.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. In fact, I'm not even allowed to tell you guys that I do. Isn't it enough that _I_ know I don't own One Piece? Do you all really have to know this as well? Doesn't this disclaimer policy fall under the category of an invasion of privacy, seeing as I'm being forced to reveal things about myself that I'd rather keep private? And is this really the best disclaimer joke I could come up with after almost 3 weeks to think? I blame spring break.

* * *

Chapter XXII: Option Two

Chopper watched in fascination as the rest of the Strawhats went through their usual antics. Luffy was yelling at Sanji for food, Zoro was encouraging Chopper to drink with him, Nami was yelling at Zoro to stop being a bad influence on the impressionable reindeer, Usopp was offering a toast to their new crewmate while simultaneously telling him a story about the 50 meter tall abominable snowman he had fought in Drum, Sanji was yelling at Luffy to stop yelling at him for food and to just wait 5 damn minutes for it to cook, and Vivi was sitting next to Chopper, watching them all with an amused smile.

"They're pretty lively huh?" she asked Chopper. Chopper nodded his agreement. He had never seen people with so much energy before. It was really like watching a circus. Not that he'd ever seen one, but he'd heard about them.

"What's the big deal Nami? If you're old enough to be a Strawhat, you're old enough to drink," Zoro said sagely.

"Even if that were true, he's too cute to be drinking with you idiots!" she said firmly as she pointed at Zoro.

"So I guess that doesn't apply to you then?" Zoro said with a smirk. He was promptly knocked to the deck head first by Nami's fist. He got up and laughed, ignoring the throb in his skull. "You're just proving me right you know." Nami looked annoyed enough to continue doing just that, until Chopper walked up and grabbed a sake bottle.

"I want to try it," he said, smiling widely. Zoro grinned it victory as Nami looked at Chopper skeptically.

"Have you ever actually had alcohol before?" she asked.

"Nope," Chopper admitted. "But alcohol is ok in moderation. As long as you don't have too much, the body can cleanse it from the bloodstream without any long term effects," he said, remembering what he'd read over the years.

"Right," Nami said with a smirk. "Alright, go on then." She motioned for him to drink with her hand. Chopper brought the sake bottle to his lips with both hands and started chugging. After about a second, his face turned blue, and he dropped the bottle, gagging and coughing. His tongue hung from his mouth and he had a traumatized look on his face. Luffy and Zoro started laughing out loud and even Nami giggled.

"So, how was the first drink," Nami asked tauntingly. Chopper, not one to note sarcasm, responded as if it was an actual question.

"It was nasty!" he shouted. "It's even worse than my Rumble balls! You guys drink that stuff for fun!?"

"Not me," Nami replied. "I usually just drink when it earns me money."

"What _wouldn't_ you do for money?" Zoro asked as his laughter died down.

"Refrain from punching you?" Nami suggested. Zoro blinked in recognition.

"Oh, that is somethin-" he was interrupted as he was once again sent plummeting to the deck head first. "Damn witch," Zoro said aloud from a seated position as Nami walked away to check the course.

The Strawhats continued partying well into the night before they finally went to sleep.

* * *

_Luffy looked out over the horizon with lifeless eyes as the island finally came into view. _

"_Zoro," he whispered. The swordsman awoke from his trance and looked as well. As the island drew closer, he snuck a glance at Luffy. He wasn't surprised by what he saw, but that didn't make it easier. _

_There was no joy. There was no evidence of the achievement in Luffy's eyes. There was only the same dead look that he had been adorning since the incident. He couldn't really blame his captain for that, but if this couldn't evoke any response from him, then what could? _

_Luffy had been looking forward to this moment for most of his life, but as he took his first step onto the island he knew could only be Raftel, he felt no sense of accomplishment. Only shame. Pirate King and One Piece meant next to nothing now. Everything that it symbolized to him had been broken. There was no freedom to be found anymore. Because _they_ would never obtain that freedom._

_Nami would never draw a world map. _

_Usopp would never meet his father and stand with him on equal footing as a brave warrior of the sea._

_Sanji would never find All Blue. _

_Chopper would never prove to the world that there was no incurable disease._

_Robin would never find the Rio Poneglyph. _

_Franky would never witness the Thousand Sunny take them all around the world._

_Brook would never return to Reverse Mountain to meet Laboon. _

_And Jinbe, who had met his end before he could even join, would never see fishmen and humans stand side by side in the sun. _

_It was too much to bear. He had failed them all. And yet he kept trudging forward to fulfill his now empty dream, simply because Sanji's last words would never stop repeating themselves in his head. _

_Zoro hopped off the sunny and started walking after Luffy. He knew what his captain was feeling. He just didn't seem to have the same drive to pursue the title of world's greatest anymore. But if he stopped now...shit, how could he stop now? How could he shame them all like that?_

_They both took a long look at the full breadth of the island. Most of it was jungle, and in the center was a cone shaped mountain that seemed to tower as high as the Red Line. The top was obscured by the clouds. As they could think of only one place to get started, they quickly made their way through the jungle and over to the mountain. The jungle was strange, they noticed. There didn't seem to be animal life anywhere. In fact, the entire island was completely silent. When they began to ascend the mountain, a peculiar calm seemed to wash over them both. Once they finally reached the top, they felt serene, as if all of their troubles could simply vanish. They knew this was not the case, but somehow they couldn't escape the feeling that everything would work out in the end. It felt...strange, to say the least. _

_Walking across the summit, they spotted a gigantic cave off in the distance. They were ready to go check what was inside when Luffy froze mid step. Zoro looked at him in confusion. His eyes were wide as he stared ahead of them. Zoro traced the path of his eyesight but saw nothing other than the cave. Luffy was seeing something different, however. _

_He continued to stare in awe at the grinning face of the eternal Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. _

"_You did well to get here, kid. It seems as though you are indeed the one I was waiting for. No one else would be able to perceive my incorporeal form." As the legendary man spoke, his mouth did not move, and the smile continued to decorate his features as the words reached his successor. _

_Luffy, who had said nothing up to this point, finally responded. "You're alive?" he asked in wonder. Although he heard his own voice, his lips did not move either. _

_Roger's grin widened and the sound of a rich laughter protruded from his being. "Not exactly," he confessed. "What you're perceiving is simply the voice of my spirit that lingers here. Having the ability to hear the voice of all things, you are a unique case. How weird is it? In a sense you're seeing a ghost you know." Luffy didn't respond, and Roger continued. "Like I said, you did well to get here. And yet, I sense that your will has been compromised. That's quite a shame. One with an ambition as great as yours must have been through quite a lot to lose their drive. What kind of regrets are haunting you?"_

_Luffy looked down at the ground. "I lost my comrades on the way here," he said numbly. _

"_I see," Roger said gravely. "That's very unfortunate. When I met my end, my comrades were still alive and well, so I'm not sure what comfort I can bring." He paused. "Tell me, do you still desire my wealth and treasures? Does your heart still yearn for One Piece?" _

_Luffy looked into his eyes and shook his head. This was not how it was supposed to go. He couldn't honestly say yes to that question. _

"_The only reason I'm here right now is so that I don't waste the sacrifices of those who died for me. I don't want their deaths to be in vain," he said. _

_Roger stared long and hard and Luffy, as if assessing him, before the smile slowly crept its way back onto his face._

"_Kid, I'm going to give you two options. Option one: you walk into that cave behind me and inherit wealth, fame, and power beyond your wildest dreams." He paused for a few seconds, and then continued. "Option two: You turn away from your dream for now, and I give you a chance to do it all again." As he finished, Luffy stared at him blankly, not comprehending option two at all. Roger raised an eyebrow at him. "What, too vague? I'm offering to send you back in time so you can do right by your comrades," he said._

_Luffy stilled, his mouth agape, and his eyes wider than they had ever been before. "Can you do that?" he asked quietly. Roger nodded._

"_You'd be surprised at what I can do. I've long since transcended the laws of the living. The payoff of course, is that I'm dead." He threw back and head and laughed. "So, what do you think? Option one or option two?"_

_Luffy didn't hesitate. "Option two…" he said numbly, still in shock that this was happening. He wasn't one to not believe in something just because it defied common sense, not at all. But this seemed far too good to be true. He...he could save them? _

"_Alright then," Roger said. He was grinning, as if satisfied with Luffy's decision. "You might want to explain what's going on to your friend first. He's been calling your name for the past two minutes. Probably thinks you're bat shit insane by now."_

_Luffy awoke from his trance and his head spun towards Zoro. The swordsman stared at him in a mix between annoyance and concern. "What the hell's with you?" he asked. "You were completely out of it there."_

_Luffy immediately launched into an explanation of what had just happened, what he had just learned, and what they could to now. Zoro stayed silent, taking it all in. He was clearly skeptical._

"_Well, assuming this can be done, I'm all for it," he said, scoffing. "But that's a pretty big assumption." Despite his pessimism, Luffy could clearly see the fire that had manifested in Zoro's eyes. Luffy smiled for the first time in what felt like ages. _

"_Alright, let's do it!" he shouted. Zoro scoffed again and threw his hands in the air, smiling despite himself._

"_Alright, let's see what you can do, Pirate King." Right after he said this, his body immediately dissipated into nothingness. Luffy stared in shock at where his first mate had previously been standing._

"_What the hell happened!?" _

"_Oh, that's right," Roger said. "The body can't handle the mind being forcefully stripped away from it and transferred like that, so it vanishes in the process. Don't worry though, you'll both awaken in your old bodies. Did I forget to mention that? I guess I forgot to mention that."_

_Luffy was too thrilled to be annoyed right now, so he let it go as Roger grinned sheepishly. _

"_I've chosen a moment that was significant to you to transfer your consciousness back to. It's easier that way," Roger stated. He paused. "The third one will be difficult, but I think I can manage," he added ambiguously. "Have fun." Before Luffy could question what he meant by that, his body dissolved, and he knew no more._

* * *

Luffy opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. He sighed and got up, walking out the door onto the Going Merry's deck. Another night without sleep. Oh well. He looked up at the stars and smiled. _So far so good, Roger._

* * *

A/N: _Duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh _plot twist. _Duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh _plot twist! How do you like _that_? Seriously, tell me.


	23. Strawhat and Firefist

This chapter's witty disclaimer joke is brought to you by The Patient One.

Disclaimer: Shanks' hair is red, Vivi's is blue, I don't own One Piece, it's sad but it's true.

* * *

Chapter XXIII: Strawhat and Firefist

"Alright Strawhats, gather around!" Luffy yelled as his crewmates yawned and made their way out onto the deck. "Nami tells me we're a few hours away from Alabasta," Luffy began. "So I'd like to know how all of you are progressing. The haki training is going about as well as I hoped, what with having a new learner and all." Chopper had readily begun the haki training when he was told of it, all too eager to join the rest of the crew in their endeavors, however unconventional they were. "But none of you have had any real breakthroughs yet, and you won't be able to rely on that in the upcoming fight. Luckily we accounted for this ahead of time and we've been playing to each of your strengths as well." He turned to Nami. "How's the weapon that you and Usopp were working on coming?" he asked.

"It's done," she answered. "We finished it last night." Usopp nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, good. Make sure you learn how to use it though. You don't want any surprises if you end up fighting someone who's a threat." Nami seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. Luffy turned to Usopp next. "And how's the expansion going?" he asked the sniper.

Usopp grinned widely. "Oh it's going!" he said proudly. "I've once again increased the intensity and area of effect of my explosive star. I also consulted Chopper, and he gave me a variety of poisons that I've worked into my arsenal. They won't see it coming!" Chopper had been reluctant to use his medical knowledge for something like that, but had agreed when he was told it was to help save Vivi's country, on the condition that Usopp keep a variety of antidotes as well. Luffy seemed satisfied with his answer and addressed Sanji and Chopper next.

"And how's your training coming along?" he asked the chef. Sanji shrugged.

"About as well as it can be," he said. Luffy knew Sanji hadn't trained much during the previous timeline, with the exception of the two years that they had been apart. He had always seemed to keep up anyway though, despite being more laid back about it. This time, Luffy wanted to see how strong the chef could get if he devoted more time to increasing his strength, so he had instructed him to start joining Zoro in his individual training on top of the haki exercises. Zoro reported that his kicks were starting to gain more power and that he was definitely getting faster. This had been good news to Luffy, but he'd been especially proud when Chopper had noticed them both during their training sessions and eagerly asked if he could join.

Even disregarding Luffy and Zoro's strength, which, with the exception of Zoro's duel with Mihawk, hadn't been pushed to the limits since they had arrived in the past, the crew was starting to become significantly stronger than it had been at this time in Luffy's previous life. Luffy and Zoro had discussed it and agreed that they would have to keep it up. They would be ready for anything when the waves got rough.

Even Vivi had been working on refining the skills she'd been force to acquire while infiltrating Baroque Works. Once Chopper had confirmed that she was fully recovered, Nami had guiltily shown her the newspaper that she had been hiding. Upon reading that thousands of royal army soldiers had joined the efforts of the rebel army, she had been distraught. She was increasingly nervous on the route to Alabasta, and the Strawhats could do little to comfort her other than come up with a plan.

"Alright, then we should talk about what we're going to do when we reach Alabasta," Zoro said. "Luffy and I have talked about it with Vivi and we all agreed on the course of action. Our first priority is to get in contact with the rebel army. Vivi knows their leader, and she'll be able to convince him not to engage in the civil war once he learns who is really behind it all. Still, we don't want to put all our hopes into that plan. Crocodile currently has Alabasta in a vice grip, and there's a good chance that he'd find a way to start the war regardless. If that happens, we move onto plan B."

"Plan B?" Nami questioned. "You guys are actually coming up with multiple plans, as if one wasn't enough of a miracle?"

"That's right witch. We need to be prepared. We're going up against a Warlord who has a lot of influence in Alabasta. Plan B is simple. Take down Baroque Works and subdue Crocodile so that we can stop the war without any of their meddling." Nami, Usopp, and Chopper looked a little nervous about plan B, but simply nodded. Zoro sighed. Truth be told, if he and Luffy had their way, that would have been plan A. But Vivi had insisted that they refrain from doing something that reckless until she was able to get in contact with Kohza. She was still pretty naive in that regard, but the real problem was that she didn't want their lives to be at risk fighting Baroque Works. But she had at least acknowledged that Crocodile most likely wouldn't stand by and watch them stop the war, so she had agreed to the backup plan.

It was another three hours before the Strawhats caught their first sign of Alabasta...in the form of a fleet of Baroque Works Billions ships.

"This will be tough," Vivi said, as a bead of sweat rolled down her face. "These guys are different than the hired bounty hunters. With that many ships, if they notice us…"

"They won't be a problem," Zoro said. Vivi looked at him worriedly.

"Are you sure? This isn't like what happened in Whiskey Peak. We're at sea, and they have us surrounded."

"Vivi-chan's right," Sanji said. "I have no doubt we can beat them all eventually, but we'll just waste time and draw attention to ourselves. For now we should just ignore them and get to the island. We only need to engage if they notice us."

"No, like Zoro said, they won't be a problem," Luffy spoke up. "I just put them all into comas. They'll be out for a week." The Strawhats' reactions to this statement varied. Nami and Vivi looked disbelieving, Usopp and Chopper looked awed, and even Sanji looked shocked, although he kept a moderately neutral expression. Zoro just smirked at their reactions.

Chopper was the first to speak. "You can do that Luffy!?" he shouted. "Was it with that haki stuff you told me about?" Luffy had already explained what Conqueror's haki was to Chopper while going over the basics of haki again before he joined the training.

"Yep, that's it," Luffy responded.

"So cool!" Usopp and Chopper shouted simultaneously, only to be yelled at by Nami.

"Don't believe him so easily! How could he just knock out all those people from all the way over here!?"

"How long will you continue to underestimate our Captain? He can do a lot more than this," Zoro commented.

"That was only about 200 people," Luffy stated. "Even if they were spread out, that's not enough to push me to my limits." Usopp was deeply impressed.

"How many people can you knock out then!?" he gasped.

Luffy thought for a moment. "It depends. If they were all that weak, I guess about 150,000?"

Usopp's eyes bugged out of their sockets, Chopper looked at him starry eyed, Nami was clearly still disbelieving, and Sanji looked a bit disturbed.

_150,000? If that's really true, he could defeat the Alabastian royal army singlehandedly if given enough time, _Vivi thought._ Could such a power really exist? And without the aid of any devil fruit?_

"That's ridiculous!" Nami said. "You could take down armies without lifting a finger if that was true!"

"Why do you think they call it Conqueror's haki?" Zoro asked lazily. "Disregarding the World Government and its affiliations, you'll find that the most influential people in this world usually possess the King's Will. That's not to say that it's an accurate measure of one's strength, but no one can deny that the ability is what its name implies, a manifestation of one's will to conquer. I can only think of a few exceptions...one of them being this guy," he said as he pointed at Luffy.

"Really?" Usopp asked. "But doesn't he want to conquer the Grand Line?"

"I don't really want to conquer anything," Luffy admitted. "I don't mind making a name for myself, but in the end that's not really my goal. I just think that the person with the most freedom in this world is the Pirate King. I plan on obtaining that freedom...and sharing it with anyone who calls themselves my comrade."

Nami couldn't help but smile. She always wondered what Pirate King meant to Luffy. There were two things she could say for sure that she knew the value of: freedom and money. The world map that she would one day draw wasn't just a means to both, but she'd be lying if she said that the vastness of the open sea wasn't extremely alluring to her. She had to admit, if she was told to choose between fame, power, and freedom, she would always choose the last option. Now if one of the choices was wealth on the other hand…

Usopp was actually tearing up. In a way, that was what being a brave warrior of the sea was all about. It had never been the promise of wealth, fame, or power that had attracted him to this life. Before he knew that his father was on a Yonko's crew, and even now, it was always the promise of freedom that lured him out to the sea. There was a reason why before he became a true pirate, he could spend hours just staring out at the infinite waters.

Sanji was thinking about All Blue. Yes, it was a chef's paradise, but now he realized that it was more than that. Deep down, every human being craved freedom. It was a basic human instinct. There was a reason that he never felt completely satisfied on the Baratie, and it was the same reason he had stayed there. Although his guilt regarding Zeff was slowly releasing its grip on him, Sanji would never truly forget what he had taken from the old man. But that was also the reason he had left. If Zeff's search for freedom could even be partially fulfilled through him, Sanji would make damn well sure that he lived free as can be.

Chopper continued to stare at Luffy in wonder. He thought back to his days with Hiluluk and what the sakura tree really meant to him. He had long since learned that it would take much more to fulfill his dream to prove there was a cure to every disease, but there was a reason that the sakura in full bloom was so appealing. He had grown up in a land of eternal snow. As a reindeer, he was satisfied with that, but as a reindeer/human hybrid, there was always a part of him that looked out towards the sea in curiosity and wondered what else the world had to offer. Hiluluk's Sakura was the first taste of the vastness of the world, and it would always hold a place within his heart, even if it couldn't literally cure diseases.

"Now, full speed ahead!" Luffy shouted, breaking them all out of their thoughts. "To eat at the nearest restaurant! I mean, to save Alabasta!"

* * *

In the center of Nanohana, there was a crowd gathering around a local restaurant.

"It's getting pretty noisy over there," a white haired man said as he smoked two cigars.

"Yes, there seems to be quite the commotion," the blue haired woman next to him replied. "Apparently a customer spontaneously died while eating."

"Captain Smoker!" a marine yelled as he ran towards the marine captain. "You're not going to believe who we found!"

* * *

The Strawhats had docked and were now debating what their first move should be. Zoro suggested that they search the town for any intel on the whereabouts of the rebel army. Vivi stated that there was no need, since she knew their base was in Yuba, but Zoro insisted that they should try to gather information anyway, seeing as she hadn't been back home in a while. This led to Vivi acknowledging that her information could possibly be out of date, and she agreed. Nami's eyes narrowed. She once again found herself in a position where she couldn't fault his logic, but she still couldn't shake her unfounded suspicions. Zoro usually thought things through, but at best he was a big picture guy, not a detailed planner. Every now and then though, he showed a surprising degree of attention to detail that even she herself couldn't match. It was almost as if he knew what to look out for. Was she imagining things? She turned to the rest of the crew. None of them seemed to pay it any mind, except for Sanji, who was staring at Zoro curiously.

Meanwhile, Luffy had been staring off into the distance, towards the center of town, with an unreadable expression. Zoro broke him out of his trance.

"You should go. We'll search for the rebel army and you can meet up with us later," he said. The rest of the crew looked back and forth between Zoro and Luffy in confusion. Luffy rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Yea, sorry. I'll be right back," he said.

"Where are you going?" Usopp asked. "Don't tell me you're just going to the nearest restaurant to stuff your face."

"Believe me, this isn't just any restaurant!" Luffy said enthusiastically, causing the entire crew minus Zoro and Sanji to face fault. Zoro tossed a wave over his shoulder as Luffy took off in a high speed sprint toward the center of town. Sanji stared after him.

* * *

When Luffy arrived at the restaurant in question, he slowed his pace to a walk. He was close enough now that he could hear the familiar voices inside.

"Hmm, what should I do?" one voice said.

"You _could _just sit there and let me arrest you," the second voice suggested.

"Rejected," the first one replied.

Luffy paused in front of the door and took a deep breath, mentally bracing himself for the coming reunion.

"To be honest, I'm not really interested in you. I'm looking for a different pirate," the second voice stated.

"You _could_ just let me go," the first suggested.

"I can't do that. So long as I'm a marine, and you're a pirate."

"What a stupid reason. Chill out man."

Luffy walked in. The sound of the door opening instantly gathered the attention of both men and their observers. The two men, who had been seconds away from a confrontation, now stared at the newcomer with wide eyes as he casually walked towards the counter and sat down on nearest stool.

"Hey old man, can I get a couple rounds over here?" he asked the bartender. He then pointed to the dumbfounded man in the seat next to him. "This guy's drink is on me," he said. The bartender looked back and forth between the narcoleptic and the newcomer before nodding frantically and pouring two cups of sake.

Luffy turned to his brother in all but blood and grinned. "So, how've you been, Ace?" he asked. The Whitebeard pirate was now staring at him with a deadpan expression.

"You always knew how to make an entrance Luffy, but that was another thing entirely," he said as he rubbed his temples.

"Well, what can I say? I live to surprise you," Luffy replied. The bartender set two cups in front of them, and the two of them exchanged cups as their observers watched, before proceeding to chug their drinks.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Ace asked, reminiscing.

"Yea, but it just doesn't feel right until I snatch your food," Luffy said with a smirk. Ace's eyes widened as he looked down at his plate, which was now empty. He sighed in annoyance.

"As fast as always I see," he grumbled. He was about to say something else, but they were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Stop ignoring me you dipshits!" Smoker shouted in frustration. Ace and Luffy turned to him in acknowledgement.

'_Oh yea. Forgot about him_,' Ace thought.

"Jeez Smokey. If you really want a drink I'll buy you one too. Relax," Luffy said.

"I've been waiting for this, Strawhat," the marine captain said, completely ignoring him. "Ever since Logue town." Smoke started to emanate from his body as he pulled the jutte off of his back. Ace looked back and forth between the two in amusement.

"You really want to do this? It'll end the same way it did in Logue town," Luffy said. "Calm down Smokey. Live life a little. Have some food and chill out."

Luffy got his answer in the form of a pillar of smoke rushing towards him. He and Ace both jumped out of the way, but soon found the entire building filling up with smoke.

"Maybe we should take this outside Luffy," Ace suggested.

"Good idea. **Gomu gomu no, pistol**!" Smoker crossed his arms in front of him and blocked the incoming blow, but it still pushed him back out of the restaurant. Luffy quickly caught up to him with a quick soru while Ace walked calmly behind them. A crowd was quickly gathering around them, along with a squad of marine soldiers.

"Smoker-san!" Tashigi yelled as she made her way to the crowd. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Luffy. "Strawhat!?"

Smoker got his jutte ready again while Ace walked up next to Luffy. "I'm surprised. You can already use haki," he commented. "I was expecting to have to step in, but I guess you've got this."

"Yea, just sit back and relax Ace. I'll show you something interesting," Luffy replied.

"Well that's no fun. I was looking forward to fighting this guy, but it looks like he's after you, which means I'm stuck with the cannon fodder," Ace said, as he took note of the many marine soldiers loading their weapons and taking aim at them.

Suddenly the two found themselves being riddled by bullets. Only this didn't achieve the desired effect. The bullets passed harmlessly through Ace's flame body and the marines ended up shooting each other. The bullets that hit Luffy ricocheted off of him and also impacted with the unfortunate soldiers. Now the only marines left standing were Smoker and Tashigi. Smoker looked like he'd had just about enough.

"**White Blow**!" Luffy sidestepped Smoker's lunge and grabbed him. Halting his momentum, he aimed a punch at the smoke man's torso, only for a hole to open up in the spot where his fist occupied. The smoke quickly closed around his arm, trapping him, and Luffy's senses reminded him to be wary of a certain seastone jutte. He used a soru to jump back and broke free of the smoke right before said jutte crashed down into the pavement where he'd been standing. Smoker lunged at him again, making multiple thrusts with the jutte, which were all dodged.

Tashigi tried to aid Smoker, but found her path being obstructed by Ace. "Sorry, I kind of want to see how this plays out," the flame man told her. "Would you mind not interfering?"

"You've gotten faster Smokey. And you've learned from our last encounter," Luffy said. It was true. Smoker wasn't increasing the volume of his body this time, choosing to rely on the speed provided by his devil fruit to trap him. "But...it's still not enough." Luffy ducked under the next thrust of the jutte and kicked Smoker in the face from below, sending him high into the air. Smoker righted himself and hovered in the air using his logia form as he turned back to his opponent. Only Luffy wasn't on the ground anymore. There was no warning as Luffy's leg impacted with his head from behind and he was sent careening back towards the ground, making a small crater in the pavement. He tried to shake off the cobwebs, realizing he probably had a concussion, but before he could attempt to get up, Luffy's arm shot down like a rocket and imbedded itself in his gut. Smoker coughed up a clump of blood and blacked out.

"Smoker-san!" Tashigi shouted as she tried to get passed Ace again. Ace was quick to intercept her at every turn though, and in desperation, she swung her sword at his neck. Ace did nothing to defend himself, and her sword decapitated him, causing her eyes to widen. She quickly realized that she had bigger things to worry about than her morals at the moment though, and rushed over to where Smoker lay unconscious. He had a concussion and a few broken ribs. She thought back to when she had found him like this in Logue town. His injuries had been more serious then, but to be honest, this situation was much worse. Their entire squad was injured, and there was no way she could get them all out of here, let alone cover their retreat.

Tashigi stiffened and turned around to see Luffy standing behind her. She readied her sword again, her mind racing. She knew she couldn't beat Strawhat. Captain Smoker was far stronger than her, and even he had lost. She couldn't call for backup either. He'd just take that chance to end the fight.

The sound of a raging fire drew her attention to the man she had just unwilling killed, only to find him still standing. Her eyes widened in horror as flames converged around his neck and his head reformed. He was a logia user.

"Nice technique," Ace commented lazily. "But without haki it's useless. And even then...you froze up when you 'killed' me. Have you ever taken a life before?"

Tashigi gritted her teeth as she realized the situation she was in. Her hands started to tremble from how tightly she was grasping her sword. Luffy took note of this and raised an eyebrow.

"What, you too?" he said. "You and Smokey both need to lighten up. I'm not going to kill you even if you hold some stupid grudge against me." He turned and walked away, leaving Tashigi dumbfounded. "Hey Ace! Let me introduce you to my crew. You're gonna love them!"

Ace's head perked up as he smiled widely. "Now that sounds like a plan. They must be some fascinating folks if they decided to follow _you_," he said.

"Sure are! They're really interesting to say the least. We even have a talking transforming reindeer," Luffy said. The two brothers continued to chat amiably as they walked down the street, leaving an extremely confused Tashigi, an unconscious Smoker, and a squad of injured marine soldiers in their wake.

* * *

A/N: Horray, Ace is back! How will he react to the changes he's seeing in Luffy? Find out next chapter.


	24. Preventing Wars and Predicting Weather

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I also don't own Dragonball Z abridged. If you can figure out why I felt the need to say that by the end of this chapter, good for you! If you can't, you need to get your ass over to teamfourstar .com and start watching the best parody ever created.

* * *

Chapter XXIV: Preventing Wars and Predicting Weather

"Would you care to repeat that?" Nami asked with lidded eyes.

The Strawhat crew's faces currently conveyed a myriad of various expressions which included confusion, shock, annoyance, skepticism, excitement, awe, and just about any other emotion that you would expect to see on their faces after their captain just said-

"This is my brother, Portgas D. Ace, who you probably know as Firefist, Second Commander of the Whitebeard pirates," Luffy repeated for the second time.

Silence. For a long moment, unyielding silence. Then…

"Stop doing that," Usopp said, causing Luffy to quirk an eyebrow.

"Doing wha-"

"_Stop. Doing. That_." Nami repeated, putting emphasis on each word. A confused Luffy opened his mouth as if to respond, then paused in thought for a moment.

"Ok. I'll just stop doing that then," he said, as if that would be the end of the discussion. Nami would have none of it.

"And _what_ are you going to stop doing?" she asked, with the tone a mother might use to lecture a child, as Ace looked back and forth between the two, wishing he had a snack for the show.

"How the hell should I know?" Luffy mumbled indignantly. "Why don't you tell me? What do I have to stop doing?"

"You have to stop delivering shocking news as if you're predicting the weather!" Nami shouted in annoyance. "Half an hour ago you told us you could knock out hundreds of people with a single thought, and now you casually mention that you have a brother, and that he just happens to be Firefist Ace, a crewmate of the most powerful pirate in the world! Of all the ridiculous things to behold, Usopp's lies are second only to your _truths_, and he makes a spectacle of them...it's like you have no sense of subtlety whatsoever!"

Nami started taking deep breaths, her rant finished. Midway through, Ace had shot Luffy a questioning look, most likely in regards to the _knock out hundreds of people with a single thought_ part, but Luffy had just given him a look that said _later_. Ace had just shrugged, but a ghost of a proud smile could still be seen tugging at his lips.

"Oh come on Nami, name _one_ other time I...actually, on second thought, name _five_ other times I've done this," Luffy said.

"You're just proving her point you know," Zoro commented, causing Nami to turn in his direction and point an accusing finger at him.

"And I'll bet you knew about this, didn't you?" she asked.

"So what if I did?" he asked lazily. "You gonna charge me interest on my debt of things I'm not obligated to tell you?" Nami was about to respond, but was interrupted by Ace.

"Oh! So you _did_ tell at least one of your crewmates about me," he said jovially. "And here I thought you'd be an inconsiderate little prick and not even mention me once. Well, once is better than nonce I guess."

"Oh come on Ace, that's not fair," Luffy whined. "I mean, does Whitebeard know about me?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "Luffy, our entire crew knows about you. Said crew has over a hundred times more people than yours, not including our allies, and even the new guys learn about you within a few days of joining. _Whitebeard himself_ was in bed with a hangover the morning after your bounty made the papers - congratulations by the way - in fact, the only member of our crew who _wasn't _bedridden that morning was our First Division Commander, and he has regenerative powers."

Luffy by now was rubbing the back of his head guiltily. "Ah, sorry Ace. I guess I just like to save the news for the occasion. You have to admit, it's pretty entertaining blowing their minds like that," he said as he motioned toward his attentive crew.

"I knew it!" Usopp said enthusiastically. "He _does_ do it on purpose! I'd tell you to pay up Nami, but I know better than to take any money from you, and I have no doubts that it would come back to bite my ass if I did."

"You're right. You'd end up paying me back 10 times over, maybe more depending on my mood," Nami remarked absentmindedly.

"So anyway, where are the others?" Ace asked curiously. "Didn't you say there were seven of you?"

"There are. A few of us, Vivi, Sanji, and Chopper, are out searching for Alabasta's rebel army," Luffy replied.

Ace blinked. "I'd ask why one of your crewmates has the same name as this country's missing princess, but I assume it has something to do with why you're searching for the rebel army to begin with."

Luffy nodded. "We're here to stop a civil war." Ace stared at him curiously.

"It's not really like you to get caught up in things like that. What brought this on?" he asked.

"Vivi's our comrade," Luffy responded, without missing a beat. "If she wants to save her country, we're with her all the way." Ace grinned and nodded in understanding.

"Well, that sounds like it could be difficult. The rebel army is pretty determined from what I hear. I'm not sure Vivi can persuade them, even if she still has a good standing in Alabasta," Ace said.

"Vivi knows someone on the inside," Zoro replied. "But that's not the real problem. We'll have to take down one of the Seven Warlords if we really want to end the war."

Ace frowned. "You mean Crocodile? What's he have to do with this?"

"He's the one instigating the civil war from the shadows," Zoro said, causing comprehension to dawn on Ace's face.

"That explains quite a bit actually. Well then," he said, turning to Luffy. "How are you planning to beat Crocodile? Do you think you can take him in a straight fight?" Usopp and Nami looked at Luffy, silently asking the same question.

"Of course I can," Luffy said, before pausing. "I'll most likely be fighting him in the desert though, so I'll have to be careful."

"You know about his power then," Ace said, with a hint of surprise in his voice. "You're more prepared than I thought you'd be. You've changed quite a bit since I last saw you."

Luffy smiled morbidly. "You have no idea," he muttered, causing Ace to frown slightly. As quick as it came, Luffy's gloomy mood disappeared, leaving Ace to wonder if it had been there to begin with. Luffy? Gloomy? Was he imagining things?

"I've changed in more ways than one Ace," Luffy said in a slightly smug tone. "It wouldn't be so one sided this time if we sparred."

Ace smirked at the unspoken challenge. "Oh really? Just because your first bounty is higher than mine was, you think you can give me a run for my money now?"

"I think I can do a lot more than just that," Luffy replied evenly, although the nonchalance in his tone didn't match the enthusiasm on his face. Zoro couldn't help but mirror their grins as he watched the two brothers stare each other down.

"Well then," Ace began, the confident smile never leaving his face, "I'll just have to put that on the list of things we need to talk about later, along with how you awakened all three forms of haki so early, and why both you and _him_…" he said, motioning to Zoro, "...are both suppressing your auras." He paused. "And we might as well throw in _since when does Luffy think I'm an idiot _while we're at it."

Luffy, for his part, was suddenly taking great interest in the clouds overhead, while Usopp stared in confusion, and Nami in growing suspicion. Suddenly, Zoro scoffed. "Believe me, that's going to be an interesting discussion."

"Very interesting," Luffy added, still staring at the sky.

* * *

"Chopper, are you sure about that?" Vivi asked in a hushed tone as they made their way through the crowded streets of Nanohana.

"I am," Chopper replied. "It's hard to tell because of all the perfume around, but I can still make out the scent of gunpowder. It's really strong."

"I'm not sure what that could be other than the rebel army," Sanji commented. "Anyway, we're lucky. We came across a lead pretty fast. Lead the way, Chopper."

Chopper nodded, and he took off through an alleyway in walk point, Sanji and Vivi trailing behind him. It started to dawn on Vivi what this could mean. If it really was the rebel army, then they were just a hair's breadth away from preventing the war.

* * *

The relatively uneventful trip back to the ship consisted of Ace dispatching of a group of overly ambitious bounty hunters, and beyond that, awkward silence. While Luffy, Zoro, and Ace were content to put off the annoying conversation they all knew was coming until they got back to the ship, and Usopp accepted the state of confusion he was in, Nami was inclined to send frequent, conspicuous glares in the direction of Luffy and Zoro, making it quite clear that she was not a fan of being left out of the loop.

Nami was a suspicious person by nature. She was never given the choice to be anything else. But even though her philosophy was to have a healthy skepticism for, well, everything, she also knew when to have faith in something for what it was. But for better or for worse, having faith in _people_ wasn't something she had made a habit of until just recently. She had faith in facts. She had faith in her experiences. She had faith that there was a very limited number of things she could put her faith in.

Her crew was one of them.

But to what extent did she trust them? It was a question she hadn't really thought about. Did she trust them to the extent that she trusted north to always be north, south to always be south, two and two to always make four? There were some things in life that were constant and eternal. Was Luffy one of them? Was Zoro? Could humans really be so consistent and solid in their ways that you could have complete faith in them to never betray you? The more she thought back on their journey so far, from that small detour to Shells town all the way to Alabasta, the more she wanted to say yes. But her mind kept coming back to one inescapable fact that continued to draw ever closer to her line of sight: Luffy and Zoro were hiding something.

It begged the question, what didn't they want the rest of the crew to know, and why? Whatever it was, it seemed they were willing to tell Ace. Whatever conversation they were going to have when they arrived at the ship, she and Usopp were apparently _not_ going to be a part of it, which annoyed her to no end. Was he simply on a need to know basis, whereas the rest of them weren't? Or did Luffy not trust them as much as he trusted his brother? Nami's eyebrows furrowed. No, that wasn't right. Luffy's trust in her had never wavered even when her loyalty was questionable at best. If anything, he was _too_ trusting. Did she even have a right to question him for not telling her some things?

Nami sighed. She was being a hypocrite, no doubt about it.

When they got back to the Going Merry, Zoro led Ace to the training room where they could speak in private. Luffy turned to Nami and Usopp and rubbed his head rather guiltily.

"I'm sorry about this guys," he began. "It's just, there are some things…" he trailed off, not really knowing how to put it.

Surprisingly, Usopp flashed a smile and gave him a thumbs up. "No worries Luffy. If this is something between you and your brother, the great Captain Usopp will respect your privacy...along with the rest of the crew." He nudged their navigator. "Right Nami?"

Nami crossed her arms and pouted for a split second before nodding, which caused Luffy to smile gratefully. "Luffy...it's fine if you're not ready to tell us everything. I know I'm not really one to talk in that regard," she said. "But just...never feel like you can't tell us something because of how we'll react, ok?"

Whether because Luffy was surprised at her sudden change in demeanor, or because she was spot on, her words seemed to strike a nerve in her captain, whose eyes widened suddenly before he averted his gaze.

"I'll...keep that in mind," he said, before jumping up to the higher floor of the ship and following his brother and first mate inside. He found Ace waiting patiently, twirling one of Zoro's weights in his hand.

"So where should we start?" Zoro asked in a serious tone.

"Well, you can stop trying to hide your strength for starters," Ace suggested. "I already have an idea of how strong you are anyway…"

He ended up eating his words when Luffy and Zoro both stopped suppressing their auras, causing his eyes to widen, and almost causing him to drop the weight in his hand. Luckily, he caught it.

"What…? How…? Why…? I have so many questions!"

"Well, start with whichever one you want Ace," Luffy said in an amused tone.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Well that's comprehensive," Zoro said with a snort, causing Ace to glare at him.

"This makes no sense," Ace said, rubbing his temples. You two just arrived in Paradise and you both feel stronger than most New World pirate captains. Where did you even learn to use haki? There's next to no one in East Blue who can use it, and no pirate in the first half who can use it as well you've shown."

"Where we learned is kind of a long story," Luffy said. "But let's just say we both had very good teachers. As to why we're so good at it...it's because we've been to the New World."

Ace looked up at Luffy in surprise. "_What? _Even if you had miraculously survived a trip like that, there's no way you could have made it without anyone noticing. Especially Gramps! When could you have-"

"It was over two years from now," Luffy said, answering his question before he could finish.

Ace stared at Luffy for a full 10 seconds, as if trying to figure out if he was being played. Then…

"Oh hell no," he said, finally speaking up. "You did _not_ just talk about a future event like it already happened. Luffy, I know you. You suck at lying. You have no talent for it. You can hide the truth, you can refuse to talk, hell, you can even keep quiet as a determined psychopath punches you in the face with spiked gauntlets, but you can't lie. Still, if you're serious about what you're implying...that you're…"

"We're from the future," Luffy confirmed, cutting off his rant. Ace groaned and threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Oh sure, you're from the future. Yea, and I'm a park ranger." He sighed and relented. "How did you do it? And why?" he asked finally.

Zoro was the one who answered. "As to how, let's just say we made it to Raftel and leave it at that." Ace gave that some thought before shrugging and nodding, and Zoro continued. "As to why...there are some things that we want to prevent from happening."

"So in other words, you're playing God," Ace clarified.

"Call it what you want," Zoro replied. "We don't really care about the ethics of it."

Ace turned to Luffy and raised an eyebrow, but his brother just shrugged in agreement. "Alright Luffy, I get that we're not saints, but you're meddling with time here. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ace asked.

"At the time, I wasn't really sure at all to be honest," Luffy admitted. "I just knew that I had nothing left to lose." That comment made Ace wince. It wasn't something he wanted to hear.

"Was it that bad?" he asked. Zoro nodded gravely. "What...happened?"

Neither of them answered. As he looked back and forth between the two, he took note of their behavior. They both had their fists clenched and were looking down at the floor in...guilt? As he tried to wrap his mind around that, he noticed something that shocked him. Luffy was trembling. A sudden realization hit Ace.

"There's a reason why you're telling _me_ all this." The second he said that, Luffy looked back up at him. Only Ace was no longer looking at Luffy. He was looking at a ghost, one whose expression rightfully haunted the flame man to his very core. This couldn't be Luffy. He was too old, too scarred. The happy go lucky 14 year old that Ace had left behind at Dawn Island...this wasn't him. And yet, in a way that Ace couldn't explain or describe, it _was_.

"Ace...it's been so long…" he said quietly. Ace took a few seconds to gather his thoughts before responding.

"I died." It wasn't a question, but Zoro nodded anyway. "And you flipped the world onto a different axis just to save me?" he asked with narrowed eyes. This elicited a dry chuckle from Luffy.

"No Ace. That was just the beginning."

"It all started with your duel with Blackbeard," Zoro stated. Ace stilled.

"So I got done in by Teach?" he asked. Zoro thought he detected a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"No, worse. He handed you over to the World Government," Luffy replied, causing Ace's eyes to widen in recognition.

"If he did that…"

Zoro completed the thought for him. "Whitebeard wouldn't let them execute you without a fight, but the World Government was determined to do it, even if it meant…"

Ace covered his face with his hand. "War..." Luffy and Zoro gave him a minute to collect his thoughts. He finally spoke again. "So where do we go from here?"

"That's the part you're not going to like," Luffy said. "Whatever you do, you can't confront Blackbeard. Not yet. In our timeline he became a huge problem, but if we can prevent the War of the Best, he'll lose his chance to gain the power he's looking for. You should know that he already got the Yami Yami no mi from Thatch, and he's already someone to be careful of."

"Yea I'll bet," Ace scoffed. "If he took me down, he's a force to be reckoned with." He thought for a moment, then sighed. "You're right Luffy, I don't like it. The old man warned me not to go after the bastard, but I was determined. I still am. But if going after him is going to bring my own crew to ruin, then I'll hold off on it...for now. At least until I'm sure I can beat him."

Luffy's shoulders slumped in relief. The first big step had been taken to shaping a better future. The Whitebeard War had changed a lot, and not for the better. He would still have to pay close attention to make sure it didn't happen though. He couldn't account for all the factors after all.

"Is there anything else you think I should know?" Ace asked.

"Well yea actually," Luffy replied. "Sabo is alive."

Ace didn't think he could ever sympathize with Nami more than he did at that moment.

* * *

A/N: And just like that, Ace knows. Am I jumping the gun a bit? Maybe. Whatever. Lost out.


	25. Under the Undercover

Announcement: In case anyone is interested, Second Wind now has its own TV tropes page, courtesy of my loyal fan The Patient One. Having a TV tropes page about a story I wrote is almost as cool as saying 'my loyal fan.' Guess I'm not quite use to either yet. Anyway, I've left a link in my profile.

Disclaimer: If you own Heaven, you're either God, or a dude with long earlobes and a God _complex_. If you own Hell, you're either the Devil, or a large horned man who spends the majority of his waking hours on a toilet. If you own Paradise, you're either a very happy man, or the Pirate King, or both. If you own all three, you're either Eiichiro Oda, or the creator of the One Piece world, or both. If you own none of the above, then you have something in common with me, and the vast majority of the world's population. _You can make the world go round._

I don't own One Piece. Planet earth, keep on spinning.

* * *

Chapter XXV: Under the Undercover

"Guys, what the hell are we doing here?"

"I can't believe we're here right now…"

"He's going to kill us. We're so dead."

"What!? I don't wanna die!"

"Shut up you idiots!"

The two complaining voices were silenced by the third, but their defeated expressions conveyed what they thought of the current situation perfectly fine.

"Mr. 3," a fourth voice spoke up, "They have a point. What makes you think the boss will spare us? Shouldn't we get far away from here?"

"You're talking a lot more now that our lives are on the line aren't you, Miss Goldenweek? And I already told you, it doesn't matter where we go. He'll find us. Our only choice is to ask for a second opportunity to get rid of the Strawhats."

"Hey, isn't that jumping the gun a bit?" asked Mr. 5. "Even assuming that he'd give us a second chance, he hasn't contacted us since he gave you those orders! That means he probably thinks you're dead. We could escape right now and he'd never know we survived."

"No, he'd find out," Mr. 3 said somberly. "Don't underestimate the boss' ability to gather information. Especially when he has Miss All Sunday working for him. He won't leave any loose ends."

"This is crazy," Miss Valentine said. "You're just going to walk up to him and say _sorry I failed the mission, let me try again_? This is Mr. 0 we're talking about!"

"I didn't ask for your opinion!" Mr. 3 hissed. "If you want to run, go ahead. I never asked you to come with me anyway!"

Miss Valentine gulped. She knew he had a point, but she also knew their chances of evasion, and by extension survival, were quite a bit higher with Mr. 3 with them.

"That's what I thought. Now let's get going. The more time we spend here, the more time we give the Strawhats to arrive in Alabasta. If they interfere with Mr. 0's plans, we'll never escape his wrath."

On cue, the four undercover agents scurried down an alley towards the center of Nanohana.

* * *

"Are we getting close, Chopper?" Vivi asked in mid-run.

"Yes," the human reindeer confirmed. "The scent of gunpowder is getting stronger. I'm certain there's a high concentration of it up ahead." Vivi nodded as she panted heavily. They had completely left Nanohana and were now in the neighboring oasis town of Katorea, to the east. Vivi was surprised Chopper's nose had picked up whatever scent they were following.

"Hey Vivi-chan, the rebel army would be trying to stay hidden right?" Sanji asked.

"Yes, that's right."

"So they'll probably have guards on the lookout won't they?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because I just found some of that gunpowder."

"You two! Stay right where you are!" a voice spoke up from above them. Vivi and Chopper looked up to find a man on a nearby rooftop aiming a rifle at them. Sanji was not-so-coincidentally standing in between the man and Vivi, whose eyes widened in recognition.

"Kebi!?" she practically shouted. This caused the man to temporarily lose his rigid demeanor, but he quickly composed himself.

"How do you know me? Identify yourself." Vivi removed the white hood from her head, and this time the man's eyes widened. He immediately lowered his weapon. "Vivi!?"

Vivi was smiling in relief. She never thought she'd run into another member of the Suna Suna clan. Well, other than Kohza. This made things much easier.

"Vivi, what in the world is going on? You've been missing for over two years and now I find you sneaking around in an alleyway? What happened?"

"There's a reason I've been missing. I've been acquiring information, and it's crucial that I give it to Kohza. He is here isn't he? Could you please take me to him?"

Kebi considered this for a moment. Vivi was the daughter of the man they were most likely going to war with soon. But she was also one of them. They had long since thought her dead, but if she was alive, then he was sure they could trust her. She had nothing to do with the origins of the civil war to begin with. "Come with me," he said, before quickly jumping off the roof and leading them through the streets.

They finally came to a run down building in a less crowded district of Katorea. Kebi knocked six times on the door, and they were let in.

"Kohza-san, you're not going to believe who I stumbled across."

"Who is it?" came a voice beyond the wall, one that instantly caused Vivi to inhale sharply. She decided to forego all formalities and ran into the room where the voice had originated from.

Kohza sat up in the bed in shock, his eyes glued to the new arrival.

"Vivi...how…?"

"Kohza, I know this is sudden after all this time, but you have to put an end to this civil war! You're being manipulated. My father wasn't the one behind the Alabasta's ruin!"

"Whoa, Vivi, slow down alright? Just start by telling me where you've been all this time."

Vivi took a deep breath. "I've been in hiding so that I could find out who was really responsible for the current state of affairs in this country. The one behind this civil war, the one who really stole the rain...he's the leader of a criminal organization that's been working in Alabasta from the shadows. Two years ago, I infiltrated the organization to gather information and find out who the leader was-"

"You _what_?" Kohza asked in shock.

"I went undercover as a member of Baroque Works so that I could find out what their motive was from the inside," Vivi said impatiently, wanting to get to the point.

"Vivi, how could you do something that reckless? You could have been killed!"

Vivi was taken aback by the audacity of his question. She gritted her teeth "And _you're_ any better? Here you are, about to lead our country into a civil war, tear it to ruins, and play right into his hands, and you have the gall to tell me I was being reckless?"

Kohza was pale. "What do you mean I'm playing into his hands?"

"His goal is to seize the Alabastian throne. That's why he framed my father and planted the dance powder in his palace. His organization has been behind everything so far, and the war will give them the perfect opportunity to take control of the country during the chaos."

Kohza was silent for a moment. "Who is he? The leader?" he finally asked.

Vivi sighed in relief. Now they were getting somewhere. "Crocodile of the Seven Warlords," she replied. Kohza's eyes widened.

"This country's hero is the one leading it to ruin?"

"He's no hero," Vivi spat. "He just knows how to keep up a good public image. He knows that not even my father will suspect him if he pretends to have Alabasta's interests at heart."

"This is a lot to take in, Vivi," Kohza said, rubbing a hand over tired eyes.

"I know, but you have to believe me. If you don't call off the rebel army-"

"I believe you," he said quickly. "It's just that I can't tell them what you've just told me and expect them to believe me. But we haven't made a move yet, so there's still time. Does your father know about this?"

"No, but I can send a message to him," Vivi replied.

"Good. Tell him everything you just told me. I'll send a request to the royal army to meet with King Cobra for negotiations. We'll make an announcement to the public that we're signing a treaty. That should throw a wrench in Crocodile's plans. Until then," he turned to Kebi. "Nothing leaves this room." Kebi nodded.

Vivi let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thank you," she whispered.

Kohza was silent again before speaking. "I'm sorry, Vivi. For everything."

Vivi leaned forward and hugged him. "It doesn't matter," she said. "All that matters is that we can fix this and prevent the bloodshed."

"What will you be doing in the meantime?" Kohza asked.

"I'll be keeping an eye on Baroque Works. Actually, I was brought here by the Strawhat pirates. Without them, I wouldn't have even made it this far. But with their help, I have faith that we can put an end to Crocodile's plans."

Kohza raised an eyebrow. "I'll take your word for it. But be careful, Vivi."

Vivi smiled. "I will." She exited the room to meet Sanji and Chopper, and Kohza followed after them. During the entire encounter, no one looked towards a certain dark corner of the dimly lit room.

If they had, they would have noticed a lone crystal blue eye on the wall, watching them from the shadows before it blinked out of existence.

* * *

A/N: Bwahahahaha! What? You didn't know how much of a ninja the owner of that eye was?

I know that this chapter's on the short side. Sorry about that. I'll try to update again soon. Until then, Lost out.


	26. Big Allies and Small Disciples

Someone asked why Zoro has a "debt" to Nami in this fic. Well, he actually doesn't. He was being sarcastic when he said "my debt of things I'm not obligated to tell you." The joke he's making is that Nami tried to get him in a debt trap, which he was able to avoid, so he's basically asking if he owes a different debt now, of things she expects him to tell her that he doesn't really think he has to tell her. Sorry, I know that's kind of confusing.

But this phrasing wasn't really random to begin with. If you look beneath the literal argument they're having and think about the underlying meaning of the exchange, the reason Nami points to Zoro as someone who would know about Ace is because she has already recognized him as someone that Luffy chooses to confide in about pretty much everything.

A large part of chapter 24 was pertaining to the issue that Luffy and Zoro are hiding something, which Nami and Usopp have just started to notice. While Luffy actually feels pretty guilty about it, Zoro doesn't mind as much because he thinks it's for the best, so really what he's subtly conveying to Nami when he says that is that they _don't_ have to tell her everything, a conclusion that Nami comes to later in the chapter. Just thought I'd clear that up in case any of you missed it. Enjoy chapter 26!

Disclaimer: If I owned One Piece, which I don't, I would brag about it, a lot. Of that, I have no doubt. But I still wouldn't end up saying it nearly as much as I have to say "I don't own One Piece" at the beginning of every chapter.

* * *

Chapter XXVI: Big Allies and Small Disciples

When Vivi, Sanji, and Chopper arrived back at the ship, they were greeted by the sight of Ace, who was introduced to them by Luffy. While Sanji and Vivi were shocked to find out that his brother was a commander of the Whitebeard pirates, Chopper just stared at him in curiosity.

"Is Luffy's brother really famous?" he asked Sanji.

The chef blew out some smoke. "Yea, you could say that," he responded. "He's a living legend among pirates, a menace among marines, and an insurmountable goal to bounty hunters. He has a bounty of 550 million."

Chopper's eyes widened. "But that's over 10 times Luffy's! Is he that much stronger?"

Sanji shrugged. "Beats me. They're both monsters. All it means is that Ace is more of a threat according to the World Government."

While he was vaguely aware of the attention he was getting, Ace was still preoccupied by the revelation that his long lost brother was alive. As Sanji disappeared into the kitchen, Ace contemplated the many questions that had suddenly arisen. Luffy had told him that Sabo was with the revolutionary army. How had he ended up there? Well, Ace was sure of one thing. The object of his search has just changed.

"Hey, Luffy." The rubberman looked up from the food he was eating.

"Yea? What's up Ace?"

"I was going to ask you to join the Whitebeard pirates, but I'm guessing that would be pointless."

"You guessed right," Luffy said, grinning.

"Well then, I have another proposition for you. How would you and your crew like to form an alliance with us?"

Several of the Strawhats collectively gasped, and Luffy himself was intrigued by the suggestion. "Will old man Whitebeard be ok with that?" he asked.

"I'm sure he will," Ace said, not really stressing over it. "But will you be? I know you're aiming to be Pirate King. It would be a bit of a strange agreement, but considering the circumstances, I think it could be a good idea."

"I agree," Luffy said. "And I'm not really worried about our goals clashing. If Whitebeard wanted to be Pirate King, he'd most likely have found One Piece by now. Same with Shanks."

Ace's brow furrowed. He'd never thought of it that way, but now that Luffy mentioned it so matter of factly, that made a lot of sense...did Pops even _want_ to be king? Questions for later.

"Well, in that case, take this," Ace said, handing Luffy a small sheet of paper, which he took. "It's my vivre card. If you ever need to find me, just follow it."

Luffy noticed that there was also something written on it. A number. "This is…?"

"The number to Pops' transponder snail. I'm going to call him later and explain that I'm going to be looking for Sabo instead of Teach from here on. I'll also get his approval for the alliance, and fill him in on...recent information."

Luffy nodded. They had agreed that Ace would tell Whitebeard about his situation, but no one else. They could only imagine the headache it would cause if word reached the wrong people, so for now, it was on a need to know basis.

"Well then...until we meet again, Luffy," Ace said as he hopped off the ship and into his devil fruit operated boat. "See you at the top."

As Ace sped off, Nami's mind finally caught up with her. "We're allies...with the Whitebeard pirates…" she mumbled.

"Guess so," said Zoro with a smirk.

"That's insane!" exclaimed Usopp. "We must be the only allies they have in this part of the Grand Line. Are we, like, really important now?"

"You're the crew of the future Pirate King Usopp," Luffy said confidently. "We're already important." He turned to Vivi. "So did you guys find any leads on the rebel army?"

Vivi gasped. After the excitement with Luffy's brother, she almost forgot to tell them about what happened. As she explained that she had met up with Kohza and that he would be conducting negotiations with her father, Luffy and Zoro listened impassively. When she finished, Luffy just nodded.

"Sounds like it went smoothly then," Zoro said. "I guess our next stop is Alubarna. We can supervise everything from there." Vivi nodded eagerly. She could hardly believe it. They had come so far, and finally, they were making progress. She quickly tied a note for her father to Caru and instructed him to deliver it to him. As Caru made his way across the desert, Sanji's voice came from inside the kitchen.

"Lunch is ready!" As the Strawhats filed into the ship, Luffy and Zoro stayed outside. Luffy spoke up.

"It won't be this easy, will it?" he asked.

Zoro grunted. "No, it won't. Especially not while Robin's working with Crocodile."

Luffy pouted. "We should have just recruited her back in Sake Summit."

"Whiskey Peak. And I don't think that would have worked too well," Zoro said, causing Luffy to pout more.

"I know. But it's really weird to have her as an enemy. Not to mention annoying…" He thought for a moment. "What do you think Croc's next move will be?"

"I'm not sure. But I wouldn't put anything passed him."

Luffy's thought process was suddenly interrupted by the growl of his stomach, and the two went inside to eat with the rest of the crew. After lunch, the Strawhats set sail to the north up the Sandora river. Their plan was to drop anchor closer to Alubarna, as Vivi had suggested, before they crossed the desert on foot.

* * *

In an underwater structure located in the center of Rainbase, Sir Crocodile of the Seven Royal Warlords sat in a comfortable looking chair. You wouldn't be able to tell, however, from the infuriated scowl on his face as he stared at the transponder snail across from him.

"You're sure about this?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice.

"Of course. I had a hunch to begin with, but I've just confirmed it for myself," said a melodic voice on the other end of the line.

Crocodile was silent for a moment. "Very well," he finally said. "I suppose I'll excuse your absence from the meeting if you don't make it in time, seeing as it would have been a minor setback had I not gotten this information."

"You're _ever_ so kind, Mr. 0," the voice said. Crocodile grunted. "So then what are you planning to do about this?"

"That's for me to know," he said in annoyance.

"But of course. I suppose it wouldn't be my place to know if it happened to have something to do with a certain crossdresser."

"Goodbye, Miss All Sunday," Crocodile said before hanging up. He looked at the clock. 3:00 PM. The number agents would be meeting at Spider Cafe in a couple hours. Minus Mr. 3 of course. That coward was no doubt on the other side of the Grand Line by now. It suddenly made sense why he hadn't been in contact since his report. The report had been false. To think he would fail his mission, give a false report, and then run with his tail between his legs. Crocodile hadn't thought highly of him to begin with, but he definitely hadn't expected this. No matter. He'd find him once Operation Utopia was over.

* * *

_5:00 PM, coast across from Alubarna_

"What is this thing? A turtle? Or a seal?" Usopp asked as he stared down at what appeared to a seal in a turtle shell.

Vivi's eyes widened. "That's a kung fu dugong!" she exclaimed.

"A kung fu do-what now?" Usopp asked as he got into what he presumed to be a kung fu stance.

"No wait! It'll take that as a-" Vivi flinched as the dugong beat the crap out of Usopp in three seconds flat. "Challenge…" she finished. As it stood with its arms raised over its head in a universal sign of victory, Vivi closed her eyes and sighed, completely missing what happened next.

"Looks like we've got a winner over here," Nami commented as Luffy stood over the creature, posing in a manner that was very much similar to what the small sea mammal had previously been doing.

"No, that's even worse!" Vivi objected. The kung fu dugong suddenly got up and bowed to Luffy. "It's their custom to become the victor's disciple…"

Quite abruptly, the shore became filled with a swarm of kung fu dugongs who were all seemingly intrigued by one of their own losing a fight. One briefly communicated with the original dugong before they all looked up at Luffy with stars in their eyes. Luffy raised both eyebrows.

"Hmm, I think I can only take one disciple right now. Sorry."

"Who says you're taking any to begin with!?" Nami raged. The kung fu dugongs evidently took his words as a challenge, however, and all charged at him. In seconds, they were all defeated and bowing to Luffy respectfully.

_Did this happen last time? _Zoro wondered. _Seems familiar…_

"See? That's why I said I can only take one," Luffy told them. We can't bring _all_ of you along." The dugongs sulked as Nami, Vivi, Usopp, and Chopper listened in shock.

_He's actually going to bring one along?_

After a quick group lesson that Luffy was persuaded into, as well as a tearful goodbye, the Strawhats set out across the desert on foot...along with their new companion.

"So, you got a name?" Luffy asked as he walked alongside the dugong that he had beaten first. He shook his head in a surprising display of comprehension. "Ok then...I guess I'll call you...Seal!"

"What kind of name is that?" Nami mumbled. Seal on the other hand, nodded enthusiastically, indicating that he was content with the name.

"Not to trample on your random and spontaneous decision making Luffy," Zoro began, "but can this thing even cross the desert?"

"Hmm, good question," Luffy said, before turning to Seal. "Can you?"

Seal nodding enthusiastically again, making punching motions with his arms that seemed to say _I'm tougher than you think! _

"Kung fu dugongs are sea mammals, but they're also fit to survive in desert climates due to their surroundings environment," Vivi said. "He'll need to go back to the sea eventually, but he'll be fine for now."

Luffy, satisfied with the knowledge, proceeded to drill Seal on various punches and blocks, as well as when to use them, as they continued their journey to Alubarna.

* * *

A/N: It may be spontaneous and random decision making, but I honestly couldn't resist. This is my story, and I say Seal is coming along for the ride. So take that, common sense! I scoff at your restrictions! *Scoffs* Lost out.


	27. The Lone Agent?

How about that Doflamingo last chapter?

(⌐■_■)

( x_x) ⌐■-■

So, I've gotten pretty positive reactions to having Seal go with the Strawhats, but here's the million dollar question. Should I add Seal to the crew permanently, as maybe a ship guard or something similar? Or should I just have him stay with them for the duration of the Alabasta arc and then stay with Vivi after that? Seriously, answer the question and you get a million dollars.

Disclaimer: You won't really get a million dollars. But anyway, if I say "I don't own One Piece" out of context, does it still count as a disclaimer? I've always wondered that, since the days when I first started writing these disclaimers. You know, when I had fresh ways to say "I don't own One Piece," and witty material that wasn't going stale. I mean, it's one thing to just say, "I don't own One Piece," but when if I say it indirectly, am I still liable to get sued? And as a following question, when's the last time a fanfiction writer ever got sued for not saying "I don't own One Piece?" Yea, I can just imagine Oda's lawyers reading this fanfiction in English, scrolling through all the chapters, and then saying, "Aha! He didn't say 'I don't own One Piece' that time!" Nah, screw that noise man. I'll just stick to saying "I don't own One Piece" the way I know how.

* * *

Chapter XXVII: The Lone Agent?

"Stooop joooking around!" Mr. 2 yelled as he stood up in annoyance. "How long are they gonna make us wait!? They could at least give us some food in the meantime! I need horderves. Horderves!"

"Mr. 2, could you please sit down and wait quietly?" Miss Doublefinger asked in a tone of false politeness.

"No way! I'm gonna spin until they get here!"

"Quit yer yappin Two! Yer makin' my hips ache!" Miss Merry Christmas snapped. Mr. 4 started to say something as well, but it was slow to the point of being incoherent, so no one paid him any mind. Mr. 1 simply at the corner of the table, ignoring them all. But as Mr. 2 kept spinning, he grew increasingly annoyed.

"You'd best sit down before I disembowel you," he said quietly.

Mr. 2 turned toward him. "This guy again! Was that a threat!?"

"Didn't it sound like one? I thought I was pretty clear," Mr. 1 said in a bored tone.

"I think it's pretty clear that Mr. 0 will disembowel you both if he catches you screwing around in here," Miss Doublefinger commented. Surprisingly, this pacified both of them, and Mr. 2 sat down with a pout. About 10 seconds passed before…

"Stooop joooking around! Wheeere are they!?"

Mr. 1 was thinking about a more painful way to kill someone than disembowelment when his partner in crime spoke up again.

"You know, he has a point," she said. "I wouldn't know what to expect from Mr. 0, but Miss All Sunday is usually pretty punctual. On top of that, the Mr. 3 and Mr. 5 pair never showed up either. I can't help but feel that we're out of the loop."

"I'm afraid none of them will be able to make it," said a deep voice from the end of the table.

They all turned to the chair where the voice originated from in shock, none of them having noticed his arrival. Mr. 1's eyes narrowed. _When did he…?_

"A situation arose, and Miss All Sunday went to take care of it," the voice said. "Unfortunately, she won't make it back in time for the meeting. As for the other four...I'd advise you not to mention their names again. But no matter…the time is near."

He turned around in his chair, revealing his face. "For your final mission - Operation Utopia."

The officer agents stared in shock. Mr. 2's jaw dropped. "Cro-Crocodile!?"

"Oh good, so you know me," the man said smugly.

"Of course we know you, you're one of the Seven Warlords!" Miss Doublefinger exclaimed. "But why would you be…?"

"You're our boss?" Mr. 1 said, more in surprise than disappointment.

"So we were following the orders of a government sanctioned pirate all along!?" Mr. 2 exclaimed.

"Any objections?" Crocodile asked menacingly, immediately silencing them all.

"None here," Miss Doublefinger stated, sweating a bit. "I'm just confused as to why a Royal Warlord would go out of his way to form a criminal organization."

"What I desire isn't wealth or fame," Crocodile replied. "It's _power_." The officer agents listened intently. Seeing that he had their attention, Crocodile smirked. "Allow me to explain...the real reason behind the formation of Baroque Works. My true objective."

A few minutes later, after they all read over their mission orders, Mr. 2's brow furrowed. "So I have a separate mission, huh?"

"That's correct," Crocodile confirmed. "Miss All Sunday was acting as a spy and was able to uncover that Princess Vivi and the Strawhats have met with the leader of the rebellion. As aggravating as it is, he now knows of our plan, which complicates matters. That's where you come in, Mr. 2." The number agents, who were all high up enough to know about Mr. 2's ability, all widened their eyes in comprehension. "The rest of you," Crocodile continued, "are to come with me to Alubarna during the start of the operation, to deal with any _pestilence_. Until then, Mr. 2, your role is key."

"Alriiiight! You can count on me boss!"

"Very well then. You are to leave-" Mr. 2 was already rushing out the back door, doing spins the whole way. "-immediately," Crocodile finished, sweat dropping.

"It's about time," Miss Doublefinger muttered. Mr. 1 grunted in agreement.

"How unexpected. I never imagined that you of all people would be Mr. 0."

The number agents, Crocodile included, all turned to the source of the voice. While most of them were surprised to see Mr. 3, seeing as he hadn't shown up at Spider's Cafe, Crocodile's eyes just narrowed in anger. "Mr. 3. You have some nerve showing your face here." Mr. 3 said nothing under the heat of his glare as he continued walking forward, thinking about the events that had led him to come here alone.

* * *

_5:00 PM, Spider's Cafe_

"_There it is. The rendezvous point," Mr. 3 said quietly as he observed who he assumed to be Mr. 1 calmly walk towards Spider's Cafe from a distance. He was concealed under a wax dome that was painted to be the color of a rock by Miss Goldenweek. Mr. 2 and the Mr. 4 pair had already arrived, so the only one missing was strangely Miss Doublefinger, who should have arrived with Mr. 1. Not that it mattered. "Ok, the plan is simple. Once they begin their journey to meet Mr. 0, we follow behind them discretely. With any luck, they'll lead us right to the boss." _

"_This plan is doomed to fail!" Miss Valentine hissed from behind him. The woman was in obvious distress along with Mr. 5. _

"_She's right!" her partner agent agreed. "There's no way we can be that stealthy as a group of four, and even if we somehow make it to the meeting place, the chances of Mr. 0 forgiving us are slim to none. At worst, we get killed by the Mr. 1 pair. At best, we get killed by the boss!" Mr. 5 paused to let that information sink in. Mr. 3 said nothing, so he continued. "Listen, it isn't too late to turn back now. Even if he sends Mr. 1 to track us down, our chances of survival will still be much higher than if we walk into his base of operations and offer ourselves to him on a silver platter!"_

_Miss Goldenweek was silent as she listened to the exchange. To be honest, she agreed with Mr. 5's logic. Mr. 3 was being unreasonable. Irrational, almost. He was always the best at calculating their chances for success on a mission. Out of all of them, he should have been the one to come to that conclusion first. That could only mean one thing._

"_Survival isn't your only goal here, is it?" She suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine looked at her in confusion._

"_What are you…" Mr. 5 started to ask, before his eyes widened under his sunglasses and he turned back to Mr. 3. "Are you serious?" he asked numbly. His superior didn't even acknowledge the question, or turn to face him for that matter. _

"_You want to finish the mission," Miss Valentine whispered in horror. _

"_So what if I do?" Mr. 3 finally answered in an annoyed tone. _

"_You've got to be shitting me!" Mr. 5 almost shouted. He was having trouble keeping his voice under control now. "We all saw how strong Strawhat was! He wiped the floor with us all! Even if by some miracle you got your mission clearance, there's no way you can kill that guy! You'd risk all of us dying for the sake of your pride!? Why would you risk your life for the damn mission!?" _

"_It's the only thing I _would_ risk my life for!" Mr. 3 snapped, effectively shutting him up. He turned around and matched Mr. 5's glare. "I already told you guys that you don't have to come! You just followed me of your own accord. If all you're going to do is complain, then why are you still here? What am I, your babysitter? If you want to go, then go! You'll only slow me down anyway!" _

_Mr. 5 was silent for a moment. Then, he got up. "Let's go, Miss Valentine," he said. His partner agent didn't hesitate for more than a second before she rose to her feet as well. She shot Miss Goldenweek an apologetic glance. "We're slowing you down? It's ironic that you'd say that," Mr. 5 said. "I know you're not really that blind to the situation. The only one here in danger of being chased across the Grand Line…" he turned back to the wax man in apathy. "Is you, Mr. 3. Miss Valentine may be officer agents, but we're not high up enough to be a threat to the organization if left alive. Neither is Miss Goldenweek for that matter. Even if she's your partner, she's not privy to most of the secrets that you've been privileged with. The three of us aren't worth the resources and time it would take to track us down. As long as we're with you, on the other hand…" he trailed off as Mr. 3 narrowed his eyes. _

"_Do you know why we came with you?" Mr. 5 asked suddenly. "It's because Miss Goldenweek asked us to. We were simply respecting the wishes of our fellow agent and superior. One that we actually like, I might add."_

_This news finally evoked a reaction from Mr. 3, whose eyes widened as he turned to the girl in question. She averted her eyes from him, staring at the ground. _

"_No matter. We're leaving while we still have the chance," Mr. 5 concluded. "I suggest you do the same, Miss Goldenweek." With that, he and Miss Valentine left the dome and headed back the way they had come. _

_Mr. 3 gritted his teeth. "Go with them," he said to his partner agent. Her eyes widened. "He's right. You're not the one in danger," he continued. "This is my problem. So get the hell out of here." His voice was almost bitter. Miss Goldenweek didn't move. _

"_But I-"_

"_Treat that as an order." Her eyes glistened as she slowly got up and reluctantly left the dome as well. She turned back toward him on her way out. _

"_Good luck," she mumbled, before turning away and following behind the Mr. 5 pair._

* * *

Mr. 3 was jolted out of his thoughts by the voice of Miss Doublefinger. "How did you even find this place?" the officer agent asked. "We didn't even know where we were being taken until we arrived."

"I was tailing you all since Spider's Cafe. I hid in the back of the carriage," Mr. 3 explained, snapping back to reality.

"How clever of you," Crocodile said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now would you kindly explain why you're here and why I should refrain from gutting you?"

"I came to request a second chance on my mission," Mr. 3 stated.

"A second chance?" Crocodile repeated. "What do you take me for? I always assumed you were content with my zero tolerance policy for failure. Now that you've failed a mission for the first time, you expect to receive special treatment?"

"It isn't that," Mr. 3 said quickly. "It's just that considering the circumstances-"

"The _circumstances_ aren't going to help you here," said Crocodile, his voice raising a little. "If you were going to come here groveling for forgiveness, then you shouldn't have given me that goddamned false mission report! If there's one thing I hate more than a failure, it's a coward!"

Mr. 3's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "F-false mission report? I'm afraid I don't know what you're-"

"Stop making a jackass of yourself," Crocodile spoke in a low tone, standing up from his chair. If the growing tension wasn't enough to make the rest of the number agents flinch, this single action was. Only Mr. 1 seemed to be keeping his cool through the encounter. "You reported that you killed the Strawhats and Princess Vivi in Little Garden! Because you lied to cover your own ass, the Strawhats were able to meet with the rebel army!" He began walking toward the stuttering wax man. "Now you have 10 seconds to enlighten me on why I should continue to humor your little _request._"

"Y-you must be mistaken! I didn't even use my transponder snail once on Little Garden! I didn't give any report!" Mr. 3 defended. Crocodile froze mid step, his eyes narrowed. He continued to stare at Mr. 3, as if searching his face for any sign of deception, an act that unnerved the wax man to no end. Eventually, his scowl lightened and then disappeared, replaced by a chilling smile.

_Wait...what? _Mr. 3 rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing right as Crocodile burst into laughter.

"Clever bastard," the sandman muttered. "I'll kill you, make no mistake." It barely registered in Mr. 3's mind that Crocodile wasn't even talking to him anymore before he was yanked off the ground by a disembodied hand. In any other situation, he would have had enough clarity of mind to notice the sand trailing behind the lone appendage. As it was, he was busy gasping for air as he was suspended by his neck.

A series of emotions flashed through Mr. 3's mind at that moment as he began to feel his throat drying up. They ranged from panic, to despair, to resigned acceptance, and quickly succeeded each other. But there was something else mixed in there as well.

Regret.

Not regret that he was dying. That he had expected to an extent. But his mind kept flashing back to that conversation outside Spider's Cafe. He had already known that his three fellow agents could have left without him. That's why he had kept subtly telling them to stop following him. But to find out that they all realized it as well. It meant that they hadn't just been following him out of a need for survival.

They had been following him out of loyalty. At the very least, his own partner had. No one had ever extended that type of courtesy to him before. And he had spit in their faces. No matter how much he kept denying it, that was bothering him. So it wasn't so much that his time had come that made him feel this regret.

It was that his time had come, and he was so purely, hopelessly alone in the world, just as he always had been.

"Shrivel up and dry," Crocodile said with a sinister grin on his face.

"Stop!" a new voice yelled. Crocodile turned his head in surprise to see none other than Miss Goldenweek standing in the doorway. His eyes narrowed and he quickly dispersed into sand to avoid the circle of paint that was was splattered at his feet a split second afterwards, dropping Mr. 3 unceremoniously to the floor. His body reformed a few feet away, and his countenance conveyed unspoken promises of murder.

It wasn't long before Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine came running into the room. "So, you all want to join him?" Crocodile asked menacingly.

"Leave some for me, Mr. 0. I was getting bored," Mr. 1 said as he walked towards the lower ranked agents, Miss Doublefinger following behind him.

Crocodile scowled. "Kill each other for all I care." He was in a fairly bad mood right now, and his venomous tone was indiscriminate.

Mr. 1 smirked. "I myself don't feel like dying."

Mr. 3 watched the scene unfold in shock. He had never really counted on the slim probability of receiving a second chance to kill the Strawhats. He was fully prepared to die here. He never expected that his fellow agents would come after him, especially after their previous fallout. So why? Why did they come back?

He didn't have much time to think about it as Mr. 1's arm morphed into a blade before his eyes.

_Supa supa no mi!_ Mr. 3 immediately recognized in horror. He instinctively formed a wall of wax in between the blademan and his partner, sparing her the fate of being pierced between the eyes. Mr. 1 scoffed in annoyance. He turned toward Mr. 3 but was interrupted as Mr. 5 charged towards him. His explosive fist met Mr. 1 dead on, and the blademan was sent hurtling back by the force of the blow. He quickly righted himself, however. The lower officer agents were horrified to see that there wasn't a scratch on him. He almost looked bored.

"They're lining up to die," he commented as he walked back towards them. Miss Goldenweek started to wave her brush again but was interrupted by Miss Doublefinger. She was caught off guard by the woman's ability and yelled in pain as her hand was impaled by a spike that stemmed from the higher agent's finger. She dropped her brush to the floor.

"You have quite the troublesome ability, if I remember correctly," Miss Doublefinger drawled as she retracted the spike. She prepared to drive another spike through the girl's head, but was blocked by a candle wall. Another one simultaneously sprung up in between Mr. 1 and Mr. 5, who was also saved the fate of being impaled by the durable material. Mr. 1 grunted as his steel arms rebounded off the wax.

Miss Valentine made the next move, jumping high above Miss Doublefinger's speed and maximizing her weight. In a surprising show of reflexes, the spike woman leapt out of the way as her assailant came crashing down. "Neat trick," she commented as she walked up to the crater her adversary had made. "But it does leave you _ever_ so vulnerable." In a split second, Miss Valentine's abdomen was pierced through by a spike that grew from Miss Doublefinger heel. She screamed in pain as her blood leaked onto the floor she was brutally pinned to.

Mr. 5 lost his head and ran at Miss Doublefinger, but Mr. 1 was right behind him. Mr. 3 was forced to divide his focus as he attempted to separate Miss Doublefinger from Miss Valentine and shield Mr. 5 from Mr. 1. While he succeeded in the former, Mr. 1 anticipated the latter and slashed across Mr. 5's back regardless. The bombman groaned and fell to the floor. After only a minute, Mr. 3 was the only one in shape to continue fighting. As Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger turned their attention to him, he quickly created more wax.

"Candle Lock!" The quickly hardening wad of wax was fairly easily dodged by both agents, who both ran in to gut him. Not knowing what else to do, Mr. 3 surrounded himself with wax. Bladed and spiked arms met the steel like substance head on, but barely left a scratch. While Miss Doublefinger was beyond annoyed, Mr. 1 gave wore a frightening grin.

"I think you overestimate the power of that wax of yours, Mr. 3," the blademan said. Suddenly, Mr. 3 could hear what sounded like a buzzsaw coming from the other side of the wall he made. Soon afterward, he felt an incredible force collide with it, and was horrified to realize that his wall was being shaved away. He was slowly losing ground to the spinning blades on Mr. 1's arms.

Miss Doublefinger smiled. "Well, while you're busy with that, I suppose I should finish off the rest of them," she said, as she walked toward the other three defecting agents. No longer in a shape to defend themselves, they could only watch as spikes grew out of all of her fingers.

"Wait." Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger both halted what they were doing as they heard the voice of Crocodile. They looked back towards him, and noted with some annoyance that Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas were sitting back and enjoying the show. Crocodile grinned menacingly.

"I have a better idea."

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go. An entire chapter dedicated to Baroque Works. If you like them, then this was most likely enjoyable for you. If not, sorry about that. I'll probably have the next chapter up some time next week.


	28. A Rebel Army Masquerade

In case you're wondering, Seal is indeed the same dugong that Luffy beat first in the original timeline. Too much of a coincidence? Sorry about that. Well no, I'm actually not. Not really.

But anyway, 15 people have left reviews stating their preference in regards to whether Seal should be a permanent addition to the Strawhats. So far, I have 8 votes for him staying in Alabasta with Vivi, 4 votes for him to go with the crew, and 3 people who were undecided or offered another idea.

With that said, I am going to wait until the Alabasta arc is over to come to a decision, so if you're into this story and/or have a preference, don't hesitate to give your opinion. If you're wondering why I take your opinions into account on these things, there are a few reasons.

I am genuinely undecided.

I like feedback on my writing, and anyone who cares about my story enough to leave a review with their opinion (in compliance to my request I might add) deserves to have their thoughts taken into consideration.

In case you haven't noticed, I get extra reviews this way. *Coughs* But the other two reasons are more important. No really. *Starts to sweat* Haha, anyway, onto the chapter! STOP JUDGING ME.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, the Strawhats, Baroque Works, or even kung fu dugongs for that matter. I wonder if I own Seal though? Technically he's not named in the manga, or on the wiki, and I did kind of name him. So by name, that makes him a different character. Take that lawyers! You just got taken to law school.

* * *

Chapter XXVIII: A Rebel Army Masquerade

Kohza frowned as he looked outside the carriage. They were on their way to Alubarna, but they seemed to be straying off course a little. Was it just his imagination? Deciding to ignore it for now, he pulled his head back inside and faced Kebi.

"You're nervous," his follower commented lightly. Kohza sighed.

"How could I not be? What is he going to think of me? If Vivi is right about his innocence...how can I face him?"

"Whether or not it's difficult, you're the leader of the rebellion," Kebi said sensibly. "It has to be you. It would be an even greater insult if you sent someone in your place."

"Don't you think I know that?" Kohza muttered irritably. Kebi was silent for awhile.

"Something else is bothering you," he said.

_Dammit_, Kohza thought. That's what happens when you're right hand man is also your childhood friend. Kebi read him way too easily…

"I just have a bad feeling," he admitted. "Like we should have announced the ceasefire to the rest of the army."

"You know what would happen if we did that," Kebi argued. "They would want an explanation, and if we released intel like that, it could reach Crocodile. That man has already manipulated us as if we were puppets tangled in strings. We can't risk it. We have to at least wait until after the negotiations so the leaders of both sides can come to an understanding."

"Yea...you're right," Kohza said reluctantly. Suddenly, the carriage stopped. Kohza and Kebi looked confused for a moment before they both climbed out to meet the steerer, who had also gotten out.

"Hey, what are we doing here?" Kebi asked, looking around. "Why'd you stop in the middle of the desert?"

The soldier kept a blank face. "I was ordered to," he stated. Kebi raised an eyebrow and looked at Kohza, who had his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I never gave you an order like that."

The soldier smirked, causing both of the men's eyes to widen. "No, you didn't," he said as he raised his rifle.

Kohza reacted immediately, raising his leg and kicking the gun barrel to the side in one swift motion. The unloyal soldier looked surprised as the shot fired off to the side. As he tried to aim the gun back towards them, Kebi rammed into him with his shoulder, knocking him off his feet. He proceeded to kick the gun out of his hands. The solder gritted his teeth and tried to lift himself up, only to be roundhouse kicked across the face by Kohza, who then kicked the gun up into the air and caught it, aiming it directly at his assailant.

"Who are you working for?" he growled. The soldier just smirked again.

"I don't know. But he's far more intimidating than you."

"Don't screw with me!" Kohza shouted. "Who is it? Is it that damn Warlord?"

Surprisingly, this elicited a reaction from the man, whose brows furrowed. "Warlord?" he asked in confusion.

"Don't try to deny it," Kebi said. "We have intel that states he's your leader." The soldier suddenly started sweating heavily, and not from the desert heat, as his expression morphed into one of overt fear. "And judging from the look on your face, I'd say we're right."

"Hey, stop! You don't know what you're talking about!" the man shouted. Kohza wondered why he was just now showing fear when he had been unfazed with a gun pointed at him point blank.

"I think we do," Kebi said, now the one smirking. "The Royal Warlord, Sir Cro-"

"_Shut up!_" The man suddenly tried to lunge at Kebi. Kohza grimaced, but didn't hesitate as he shot the man directly in the head. He was dead even before he slumped back against the sand.

Kebi rubbed his eyes. "Just what was the point of all this?" he asked as he raised his arms and gestured to the barren desert around them. "Does he think we're stranded? That neither of us can drive a damn carriage through our home country?"

"Look at the tattoo on his arm," Kohza said, ignoring the rant. Kebi knelt down and looked it over, frowning.

"What is that? The mark of their organization?" he asked.

"Perhaps. But regardless of what it is, we need to keep an eye out for it. From now on, anyone in the rebel army who is seen with this mark is to be brought in for questioning." Kebi nodded as they both stood up and started towards the carriage. Kohza froze, however, as he caught sight of something, or rather someone, out in the distance. It looked like a...ballerina?

* * *

"I'm...ha...gonna...ha...ha...die…" Usopp said miserably, his sentence made choppy by endless pants.

"Not before me…" Chopper replied unenergetically as Zoro pulled him across the desert sand on a sled. The reindeer human hybrid had been reduced to a semi conscious, sizzling ball of fur. Being better suited to colder climates, he could barely walk in the desert heat.

"At least Chopper has an excuse," Sanji grumbled. "You're just being melodramatic Usopp."

"Hey, I sure as hell do have an excuse!" Usopp argued. "I've suddenly come down with 'I-can't-walk-through-the desert-anymore-or-I'll-die-itis!"

"There's no disease like that," Chopper stated matter of factly.

Sanji smirked. "You heard the doctor long-nose. Keep walking."

Usopp's jaw dropped. _Chopper, you traitor! _As if to make his case more convincing, Usopp suddenly collapsed backwards onto the sand, making unconvincing wheezing noises. "I can't...go on…" he groaned, raising his hand toward the hazy sky.

Zoro sighed in annoyance and walked back to him. "Don't make me carry you too. Come on, do you want to fall behind?"

"I...won't make it. Go on without me...Zoro…"

"If you say so," Zoro said with a shrug, before leaving him there in the sand and catching up with the rest of the crew.

Usopp suddenly bolted up onto his feet and ran after them. "Hey wait! Don't leave me! Zooroooo!"

"Will you calm down you idiot?" Nami reprimanded. "All you're doing is wasting energy that you should be using to walk. Keep it up and you're just going to need more water, and that's something we can't spare right now."

Sanji had to agree. Most of them weren't faring very well with the sun beating down on them. Chopper was immobile, Nami refused to let him carry her, saying he wasn't to be trusted (which was probably true, some part of his mind supplied), Usopp was...well, he was Usopp, and he himself was sweating heavily. Zoro was toughing it out, but Sanji could tell even he was at least mildly uncomfortable. The only ones who seemed to be beating the heat were Luffy, Vivi, and...well, Seal.

"You three don't seem to mind the hot climate at all," Nami commented, voicing Sanji's thoughts as she looked at the three in question.

"Well, I was born and raised on this island," Vivi said, smiling. "You could say I'm used to it. I'd imagine the same is true for Seal." Said dugong nodded confidently before flashing Nami what could be interpreted as a thumbs up...minus the thumbs.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Nami said before turning to Luffy. "But what about you? There aren't many deserts in East Blue."

"Nah, my home island had really good weather," Luffy replied. "The reason I'm fine is that I can control my body temperature." This got the attention of the rest of the crew, especially Chopper, whose head perked up in interest despite his severe discomfort.

"You mean you can keep your body temperature steady at will?" Nami asked in amazement. "Is that even possible?"

"I guess so. I do it with a technique called Life Return. It lets me stay cool in the heat or warm in the cold...among other things."

"Life Return?" Chopper repeated in wonder. "Come to think of it, you were walking around Drum Island in nothing but a t-shirt! Were you using the same thing back then?"

Luffy nodded. "Yep, that's right."

"But what kind of technique is that?" Chopper asked. His discomfort seemed to be momentarily forgotten, overshadowed by his interest in the medical phenomenon. "It almost sounds like a type of biofeedback."

"Bio feed who?" Luffy asked, his mouth suddenly watering at the thought of being fed.

"Biofeedback," Chopper corrected. "It's an ability that a select few people can access through meditation and mental discipline. It allows them to achieve a higher degree of control over the body by exploiting its biological connection to the mind, gaining a greater awareness of bodily functions that most humans wouldn't be conscious of, and in turn being able to regulate them."

"Hmm, hmm," Luffy said, nodding sagely. "Fascinating."

"You didn't understand a word he said, did you?" Zoro inferred.

"Nope."

"What's wrong with you?" Nami asked in exasperation. "He's saying that biofeedback is the scientific explanation for the technique you use, one which you evidently don't understand."

Luffy stared at her, the conspicuous lack of comprehension evident on his blank face.

"Basically it's a mystery technique Luffy," Zoro added.

"Ah," Luffy said, smacking his hand with his fist. "Why didn't you just say so?" Nami looked extremely annoyed now, whereas Chopper was in deep thought.

"Luffy," the reindeer suddenly spoke up. "What else can you do with that technique?"

Luffy thought for a moment. "A lot of things actually. For one, I can eat until I'm really fat and then turn all the food into pure muscle and energy. That's really useful before a fight. In fact, if I'm injured, it'll heal me to an extent."

Chopper looked like he was in candy land. His eyes were shining. "That's amazing! You're manipulating the enzymes in your body in order to convert the nutrients in the food to suit your needs! From the sound of it, you can even speed up digestion! How did you learn to do that!?"

Luffy scratched his head. "I just sort of...did it one day," he admitted. Come to think of it, when _was_ the first time he did that? Was it in Impel Down? No, maybe Shabondy? He remembered healing injuries by eating meat since after his first fight with Crocodile, but that wasn't really an effect of the technique. Life Return just let him do it faster.

"What else can you do?" Chopper asked eagerly.

"Well, I can increase my resistance to pain and fatigue..."

"So you can actively release adrenaline into your system?"

"Yea, let's go with that. I think I can also counteract some types of poison…"

"By forcing your immune system to create specific types of antibodies?"

"Sure, why not. Other than that, it does let me automatically activate my gears, and it also lets me maintain them longer."

"Gears?" Sanji interrupted. "What are those?"

"They're ways that I can enhance my fighting style by taking advantage of my rubber body. Like this." Steam suddenly started rising from his body, which took on a red tint. Chopper's jaw dropped as he sat up.

"Luffy! You're showing signs of a dramatic increase in heart rate!" he said in a panicked tone. Luffy just nodded as he continued smiling.

"Yep, that's Gear Second. It increases my strength and speed." The crew looked on in amazement. The one who was most impressed by far was Seal, who shouted a series of high pitched barks that was unintelligible to anyone other than Chopper...and evidently, Luffy.

"No, I can't teach you that. The only reason my body can withstand it is because I'm made of rubber." Seal looked deeply disappointed as he let out a noise akin to a sigh.

Chopper's medical mind was going haywire. "Are you insane, Luffy!? Even if the increased blood flow enhances your bodily performance in the short term, the long term effects could be catastrophic! You're putting way too much stress on your body!"

"Ah, it's fine Chopper. When I first started using it it was exhausting, but now my body is much tougher. Plus, with Life Return I can control how much I increase the blood flow, and choose which part of my body to direct the blood to. Like my muscles, or even a single limb." Actually, when he first started using it, he didn't realize that the blood was being distributed evenly throughout his body. It was before the crew was separated in Shabondy that Chopper had informed him that most of the extra blood he was pumping through his body was being wasted when he fought.

"Luffy! You're still in Gear Second as you're talking! Stop doing that!" Chopper shouted indignantly. Luffy, realizing that he was right, quickly deactivated the technique.

"So is there a Gear Third then?" Sanji asked curiously. Luffy grinned.

"You bet!" He raised his arm, and the limb started to expand before their very eyes, until it was the size of a giant's. The crew, minus Zoro, looked on in shock. Usopp stumbled back. Seal pulled a quick 180 and was in awe again.

"What the hell!? Your arm crew!" Usopp shouted.

"Yep, because I inflated my bones. Cool huh?" The crew stared dumbly and he laughed, shrinking his arm back down to normal size.

"So is there another one after that, or is that the limit?" Usopp asked, his curiosity beyond piqued at this point.

Luffy might have answered him, but Vivi chose that moment to point out a large rock formation that they could use for shade. The crew immediately rushed over to the rock, Usopp forgetting his own question entirely.

"Man, it really is hot out here," Nami complained. "I wish we had something to ride. Like a camel maybe."

"Not all of us would fit on a camel though," Vivi pointed out.

"You're right," Nami admitted. "A camel that only gave rides to us girls would be nice."

Vivi's brow furrowed. "What kind of camel is that?" Nami shrugged.

* * *

"Is the plan in motion, Miss All Sunday?" Crocodile asked. His tone contained a hint of impatience.

"It is," his partner agent replied. "Mr. 2 has reported that his infiltration was successful."

"Good. Then our rebel friends should be arriving any minute now," Crocodile stated, turning around in his chair to face her. "Make sure they're comfortable with our other _guests_. We're moving ahead of schedule. Tomorrow, we move into Alubarna."

Miss All Sunday's features were carefully blank as she nodded. "Yes sir."

* * *

A/N: Looks like things are starting to heat up in Alabasta. Pun intended. In case it was unclear, Luffy was using Life Return, a technique utilized by CP9, since before the timeskip in this fic. I decided to use that to explain some of his quirkier abilities as well as open up opportunities for future techniques. Until next time. Lost out.


	29. The Royals, the Rebels, and the Ruffians

Damn, that mini flashback with Ace last chapter...did he really know? The web site I read it on had a vague translation, so it's hard to tell. Still, I get the feeling that this chapter just screwed me over. And the timing is just typical.

On another note, if you haven't seen the new cover image for this story, go ahead and check it out, because I spent half an hour getting it to fit the size restrictions.

Disclaimer: One Piece, Two Piece, Red Piece, Blue Piece,

Black Piece, White Piece, Back Piece, Right Piece,

New Piece, Fun Piece, No Piece, None,

never own will Lost Piece One.

* * *

Chapter XXIX: The Royals, the Rebels, and the Ruffians

"It feels like it's warming up again," Nami said with a shiver as she rubbed her hands together. Walking through the desert at night had not been any more pleasant than doing so during the day. The atmosphere dropped below freezing temperatures not long after sunset. Apparently, even Vivi wasn't use to these harsh conditions, as most Alabastians knew to avoid being outside in the desert at night. So this time, the only ones completely unaffected were the reindeer human hybrid, the marine mammal with a passion for martial arts, and the bio regulating rubber man.

_The only logic in all this is that they all defy logic, _Nami thought enviously as she snuck a glance at the last of the three, who was strangely looking around for something.

"You lose something Luffy?" she asked, trying to distract herself from her discomfort.

The rubber man pouted. "I've been looking for a stick, but there are no trees in the desert," he said sulkily.

Nami looked at him oddly. "Why do you need a stick?" Usopp on the other hand, gave Luffy a sympathetic look and clapped him on the back in an attempt to console him...of what, most of the crew could only guess. Chopper and Seal looked up at the two curiously while Nami felt her brow twitch.

"Am I missing something here?" she asked.

This time, she was on the receiving end of an odd look from Usopp. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, as Luffy continued sulking. Nami's answer was to glare at him in annoyance, and he sighed.

"Luffy has been looking for a walking stick since we started our journey to Alubarna, but as he said, there are no trees in the desert. Now we're almost there, and he still hasn't found one, so he's going to miss his chance to use one." As he spoke, Luffy's head sagged, and Seal let out a low empathetic moan.

"That's great and all, but you've failed to answer the original question. _Why_ does he need a walking stick?" Nami asked in exasperation. Usopp sighed again.

"_Because_," he said, in a tone that suggested he was explaining something rather simple to a small child who kept asking questions, "We're walking, and it's a man's romance to carry a walking stick while going on an adventure, or even just a hike."

"Really!?" Chopper exclaimed, as his eyes lit up in fascination. He wasn't the only one. Seal immediately began his own fruitless search for a stick.

Unable to hold in his mirth any longer, Zoro burst out in laughter. Vivi also giggled, and Sanji's mouth quirked up in amusement.

"Man's romance huh?" Zoro asked thoughtfully, before unstrapping one of his sheathed swords from his hip and using it as a makeshift walking stick. "Then, how's this?" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper looked at him enviously, while Seal was still too busy with his search, too hopeful to acknowledge the fact that there were indeed no trees around.

"Idiots…" Nami muttered.

The Strawhats were brought out of their antics when Vivi pointed at the horizon, and they all looked ahead to see the city of Alubarna off in the distance. "We're almost there," she whispered.

* * *

"Your majesty, I realize how severe the situation is, but what you're suggesting-"

"I have no choice in the matter," King Cobra said gravely, cutting Chaka off. "If negotiations are not to occur, out only choice is to move in against Crocodile. I will _not_ raise arms against the people of Alabasta, however misled they may be in their assumptions."

"With all due respect," Pell began, "If we were to attempt to apprehend Crocodile now, we would merely be adding fuel to the fire. It is a long distance between here and Rainbase. Crocodile would easily be able to read our intentions, and not only would our chance of success be slim at best, but he would be able to avoid a conflict completely if he so wished. He also has the backing of the people, regrettably more so than your majesty at the moment." He paused. "Right now, the rebel army's actions are unpredictable. If we were to move our troops to Rainbase now-"

"What would happen?" the king interrupted. "Would we lose more face? Would the people denounce us? Would the rebel army take the palace? Is that what you're so worried about? Pell, Chaka, I've told you many times. A country is its people. Even if the royal army were to fall, so long as Crocodile is defeated, Alabasta will be rebuilt. But if we were to take up arms against our own people and walk right into that madman's hands, the only one celebrating in the end would be Baroque Works! It matters not whether we still have the means to suppress the rebel army afterwards. They are not the enemy. My only target is Crocodile!" He paused for a moment. "Perhaps my rule may very well come to an end when all this is over. If that were to happen, it would be a small price to pay."

Chaka's eyes widened. "Your majesty…" _I underestimated his resolve. What sheer force of will._

Pell, however, did not look so convinced, which did not escape the king's notice.

"Is there something else I should consider?" he asked suddenly. Chaka and Pell were his most trusted advisors, and despite all his experience, he couldn't account for everything.

"Your plan is flawless," Pell began, "So long as we can detain Crocodile." Chaka looked toward his long time friend in curiosity, while the king's stony features remained blank.

"Go on."

Pell looked him directly in the eye. "Our enemy is one of the Seven Royal Warlords. We all know the kind of power such an individual possesses, even alone. To be perfectly honest, I don't think even the entirety of our forces could take him on."

The king contemplated this for a moment. "Do you merely mean to point out that there is no one in our country who can oppose Crocodile? If all you have to say is that the situation is hopeless, I don't want to hear it," he said with authority.

"Not at all," Pell amended quickly. "What you said may very well be true. The may not be anyone in Alabasta who can take him on. But that does not make the situation hopeless."

The king's eyes widened as he caught on. "The World Government…"

Pell nodded. "I think it is of the utmost necessity that we enlist their aid," he said.

"I don't think that would work," Chaka stated. "Against a government sanctioned pirate? You know how extensive the privileges granted to the Royal Warlords are. We would need sufficient proof of such an accusation, proof which we don't have. I'm not sure they would be willing to help us without solid evidence."

"They might," Pell said. "You know as well as I do, Chaka. Due to the unique history of the Alabastian throne, we are not just any affiliated nation to the World Government. Our privileges run as deep, if not deeper, than those of the Seven Warlords...all things considered."

Realization dawned on Chaka's face, and King Cobra almost looked annoyed. "And you suggest we use this to our advantage?" he asked.

"I don't think he have a choice. It may be our only hope," Pell said somberly. Nearly a minute passed as the king considered the idea. To abuse such a connection...it would leave a very bad taste in his mouth. But if the country could be saved, the benefit would far outweigh any personal grievances he had. He opened his mouth and was about to announce his decision when a guard stormed into the room.

"Your majesty!" he exclaimed, nearly out of breath.

The three were visibly startled. "What is it?" Chaka asked.

"It's Vivi! She's arrived!"

Pell and Chaka straightened, and Cobra immediately headed towards the door. "Did you show her in?" the king asked.

"Yes your majesty, but she had unexpected visitors with her-"

"Pay it no mind. I will personally greet my daughter, as well as our guests. Pell, Chaka!"

The two royal guard commanders followed him out.

* * *

When Vivi had told him that her traveling companions were pirates, King Cobra's uncertainty was easily outweighed by his gratefulness towards their unknown benefactors. He had many visions of what this pirate crew would be like. This...was not one of them. Upon entering the lobby of the royal palace, he was greeted by the sight of a small bipedal cross between a raccoon and a reindeer, a long nosed man who was currently telling the creature some outrageously outlandish story, a woman with beri signs for eyes who was currently admiring a set of historical relics as though she might swipe them at any second, a swirly browed man in a suit and tie who was not so subtly hitting on her and being ignored, and a man in a straw hat who was in the middle of what looked to be a sparring session with a kung fu dugong. The only level headed member of their group seemed to be a man with three swords strapped to his hip, who was leaning against the wall with a bored countenance. If not for his vibrant and unusual hair color, one might think he was the only normal one among them. That is, if you didn't count-

"Vivi!" the king shouted as he dashed up to his daughter whom he hadn't seen in over two years. She wrapped his arms around him, reassuring him that she was ok. As much as he wanted to catch up, he knew there were more important matters to attend to, which Vivi wasted no time in addressing.

"Father, where is Kohza? Did he leave already? How did the negotiations go?"

The room suddenly fell silent, and Vivi started to get worried. "Father…?"

"Vivi," Pell spoke up, "Kohza never came." The princess went still, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Many of the Strawhats had the same reaction. The only ones from their group who didn't seem surprised, Pell noted, were the man in the straw hat and the one with the green hair.

"But...that can't…" Vivi couldn't seem to find the right words to convey her disbelief.

"Vivi," the king began, "Yesterday, when the negotiations were supposed to take place, Kohza and his guard never arrived at the palace. After some time, we discreetly sent out a search party. All we found was an abandoned carriage with no horse in the middle of the desert...on route from Katorea."

Vivi's eyes widened, and after a few seconds, she sank to her knees. "No…" she whispered. "Kohza…" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as the king, Chaka, and Pell tried to find words to comfort her. The Strawhats all looked unusually somber. Beside them, Luffy and Zoro shared a glance, and Luffy nodded.

"Vivi," he said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "Don't lose hope. We can still fix this."

"But Luffy-san," she protested weakly, "if they took Kohza…" she trailed off.

"Then we just need to get him back," Luffy said firmly. After a long moment, Vivi pulled herself together and stood up.

"You're right," she said, with newfound resolve. The king and his followers stared in awe at the scene.

_Are they really pirates?_ Chaka couldn't help but wonder.

"It looks like you two were right," Sanji said suddenly, motioning to Luffy and Zoro. "Crocodile won't just stop, and he won't let us do as we please. If we want to stop this war, we have to take him down."

"We were considering that," Pell said, fully willing to share their plans with these pirates after the scene he had just witnessed. "But we can't understand Crocodile's motive in this. Even if the rebel army was unaware that negotiations were supposed to take place, they aren't likely to act without their leader. No matter how angry a viper is, it can't bite without its head. If anything, this should stall them."

"Maybe not," Zoro said, speaking up for the first time. All eyes turned to him. "Vivi, are there any agents in Baroque Works who specialize in impersonation?

Vivi's eyes widened. "Now that you mention it, Mr. 2 is rumored to have an ability like that, but I've never met him." Pell turned to Zoro curiously.

"You think they mean to impersonate Kohza?" he asked.

"Most likely," Zoro replied. "We have to assume that this wasn't just an act of desperation. We'll work with the assumption that they have a plan, and then we'll plan accordingly. That way, we'll be prepared for the worst case scenario." Chaka and Pell both nodded in approval of the logic.

"So what do you propose?" Chaka asked.

"In order to unmask the imposter, we need the real Kohza," Zoro said. "That's why one of our priorities should be to liberate him from Rainbase."

"That won't be an easy operation," Pell commented.

"Which is why we'll be sending Zoro," Luffy spoke up. "He'll get it done, don't worry." King Cobra, Pell, and Chaka looked uncertain, but nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to go too," Vivi said. Zoro consented to the request. The king and his advisors looked worried, but Vivi assured them that she would be fine.

"I hate to bring this up," Chaka said, "But how do you know that Kohza is still…?"

"We don't," Luffy stated. _Though knowing Croc, he's alive for the moment. _"That's why our other priority is to take down Baroque Works." The king's two advisors now looked at him like he's insane, but the king merely stared at him thoughtfully.

"Do you think you can do that?" he asked. Luffy smirked.

"I know we can," he replied. "Just leave everything to us." Chaka and Pell still looked skeptical, but the king simply nodded.

"Then we will rely on you. Sorry for the trouble," he said respectfully. Luffy just grinned.

"Don't worry about it."

Zoro turned to Luffy. "There is one more precaution we should take," he said. Luffy nodded, while the others wondered what they were talking about. "Our enemy specializes in impersonation. If we succeed in revealing him to the rebel army, he may try to impersonate one of us next. So we'll need a way to ensure that we can trust each other."

Vivi agreed to the plan he proposed, and after all the Strawhats were marked with the symbol of their comradery, she headed towards Rainbase on Carue's back, along with Zoro, who, to his slight displeasure, rode atop the back of one of the Super Spot Billed Duck Squad. The rest of the Strawhats agreed to wait in Alubarna, seeing as Baroque Works would most likely arrive there along with the rebel army. Today, the conflict would be set in motion.

* * *

In a certain bar in an active district of Alubarna, a white haired man with a large jutte strapped to his back sat in silence along with a blue haired woman with a sword on her hip.

"Smoker-san?" Tashigi spoke up, breaking the silence. "Why do you think that Strawhat is in Alubarna?"

"Just a feeling," the white hunter replied, taking a swig of his drink. Tashigi was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Are you planning to confront him again?" she asked quietly.

"Why do you even need to ask?" Smoker said in an annoyed tone.

"Your injuries from last time just healed…"

Smoker glared at her, and she fell silent. Deciding it wasn't right to misplace his aggression onto her, he turned away. "I have some questions for him," was all he said, indicating that the conversation was over." Tashigi took the hint and sipped her drink, leaving Smoker in deep thought.

_Strawhat...why am I still alive?_

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this expository chapter. Next time on Second Wind: the war is on!


	30. Three Front Formation

Announcement: Currently 12 people have left reviews saying that they want Seal to join permanently, while 13 people would rather he stay with Vivi. I am literally keeping track on a notepad.

Disclaimer: A writer in court is quite bitter.

A lawsuit has quite a high cost.

So lest my integrity wither-

One Piece is not owned by Lost.

* * *

Chapter XXX: Three Front Formation

_1 PM, outskirts of Alubarna_

The sound of innumerable hooves simultaneously hitting the desert ground could be heard as the rebel army rode towards Alubarna on horseback, led by the man known to the rebel army as Kohza, the head of the rebellion. The previous day, their decision to invade the capital had practically been made for them. When Kohza had gone on a mission to gather supplies, along with the second in command, Kebi, the rest of the rebel army had not known what to think. After all, why would he take the responsibility for such a task himself? He would be easily recognizable and ultimately prone to fall into the clutches of the hostile king. It was almost too predictable when he had disappeared that day. The rebellion's fears had been realized.

But miraculously, Kohza returned that same night...only, without Kebi. He was surprisingly calm when he explained that they had been ambushed by the royal army. In a sudden act of aggression, they assaulted both him and his second in command. According to him, he had barely escaped with his life.

Kebi had not escaped at all.

This information had quickly galvanized the rest of the rebels, to the point where, upon being led to a rather large vault in Nanohana which was filled with a myriad of weapons, they didn't even think to question it. They counted themselves lucky that Kohza's mission had at least been successful. Now, they rode into the kingdom's capital with firm resolve. Today, the royal army would fall, and the corrupt king would be dethroned.

Or so they say.

"Kohza-san, unidentified individual, 12 o'clock!"

"Is that a royal army soldier? Why would he come alone?"

"He's not in uniform. Is he even an enemy?"

"Kohza" ignored the murmuring of the rebel soldiers and squinted at the figure in the distance, frowning. The man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember whether he'd really seen him before. From this distance he was hard to make out, and it didn't help that his face was shrouded by the straw hat atop his head.

Before he could even think about what was wrong with this image, let alone figure it out, something strange happened. He suddenly felt his horse veer off course. He tried to gain control over it, but it ignored his commands as if possessed. For a split second he thought of jumping off to avoid getting trampled, but a quick look back at the rest of the troops revealed that they were having the exact same problem.

The sight of thousands of soldiers struggling and failing to regain their bearings may be comical to him at any other time. Unfortunately, right now, his mission was to lead them into Alubarna. And this complicated things. Was was happening? The horses seemed to be dispersing, spreading out thinly and coming to a stop. It was as if they were all having the same exact thought. It almost looked like a planned maneuver, however ridiculous that sounded. Of course, another explanation was that they _were_ possessed. In seconds, they had all come to a stop and started looking in the same direction...towards Alubarna.

Mr. 2's eyes suddenly widened comically as he slowly turned around and saw the same man he had seen before standing right in front of him. His face was still obscured by that damn straw hat. Who did this guy think he was, acting all badass while wearing a straw hat of all things? He was acting like he just did something completely awesome, like…

Like stop an army.

Suddenly, he felt a wave of power wash over the area. That was the only way he could describe it. It was as if the desert air had suddenly been filled with an aura of raw strength, strength that was not to be trifled with. He felt his hair stand on end, and was slightly horrified to note that thousands of rebel soldiers behind him were falling off their halted horses, completely unconscious.

He started sweating, not just from the awe inspiring sight, but also from an unexplainable urge to get the hell away from this guy. Nevertheless, he stood his ground.

"Hey, hey! Who the hell do you think you are, you straw hat bastard!? Can't you see I'm trying to lead armies into civil wars here? Stop joking around!" he yelled at the man, pointing at him in accusation and slipping back into his normal persona. The man finally lifted his head, revealing his eyes, and Mr. 2 felt that much more intimidated, for reasons he still couldn't discern.

"You don't know who I am?" the man asked in a low tone, before grinning. "What's wrong? Is Crocodile lacking intel?" Mr. 2's eyes widened again. This guy not only knew who we was, but also who he was working for. There was a moment of silence, then…

"Stooop joooking arooouund! Who are you!?"

"You already know who I am," the man said quietly, face expressionless. "They call me…" he paused.

Mr. 2 leaned forward, full attention on the one who claimed to know him.

"...straw hat bastard," he finished.

Mr. 2 face faulted, horrified by the complete waste of buildup. He quickly got up and growled.

"I thought I told you...to stop joking around!" he shouted as he attempted a jump kick on the stranger, who moved his head out of the way with practiced ease.

"But I'm not joking! Everyone calls me that! It's soooo annoying!" he complained. Faced with the drastic change in demeanor, Mr. 2's jaw dropped. This guy just went from intimidating, to mocking, to whiny in less than 30 seconds.

Suddenly, Mr. 2 remembered where he'd seen the man's face before. It was on a bounty poster, of a wanted pirate whose head was worth almost as much as Mr. 1's. That pirate just happened to be the same guy who had thrown a wrench into Mr. 0's plans.

"You're...Strawhat Luffy," he gasped.

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "Took you long enough," he said.

Mr. 2 got into a defensive stance. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"I know a lot of things," Luffy said, smirking.

Mr. 2 matched his smirk challengingly. "Oh? Then I guess I'll just have to kill you."

Luffy hummed in thought. "Or you could betray Crocodile."

Mr. 2 raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?" he asked suspiciously.

"...I'll be your friend," Luffy offered.

Mr. 2 froze. _So that's it? A promise of friendship extended to an enemy? _He found himself getting slightly emotional despite himself.

"Actually," Luffy continued, "I'm not really sure why you joined Baroque Works in the first place. But hey, I guess everyone's gotta put meat on the table."

Rather than correcting the misspoken idiom, Mr. 2 focused on the first part. Well, he had a point. Joining Baroque Works had been a spur of the moment decision for him. To be honest, he only did it because he was bored and being a secret agent sounded cool at the time.

"Interesting proposition," he said after a moment. "But I won't be swayed by a few choice words! Once an okama has chosen his allegiance, he won't defect so easily!"

Luffy hummed in thought. "Ok, then, how about this? We fight it out. If you win, you can steal my identity and use it against my crew. If I win, you have to help us fight Baroque Works. I'm going to kick Croc's ass anyway."

Mr. 2's brow furrowed. "That's a win-win the way I see it," he admitted. "I'd sure like to kick that Mr. 1's ass. But what makes you think I'll uphold my end of the deal?"

"Because we're friends."

Mr. 2's jaw dropped. _Such trust in someone he just met._ _I would shame myself as an okama if I didn't match his resolve! _"Fine, Strawhat! I accept your challenge!" he shouted as he charged at the grinning pirate.

* * *

_2 PM, Rainbase_

"Hey bomb guy," Kebi said, quite nonchalantly considering the situation at hand, "Haven't you learned yet that that's useless? The noise is starting to hurt my ears."

Mr. 5 ceased his continuous battering of the cage bars to glare at the one questioning him.

"Would you happen to have a better idea?" Miss Valentine asked in an annoyed tone. She was constantly keeping pressure on the wound in her abdomen, with limited success. Luckily it wasn't fatal, but that didn't mean she could brush it off.

"If I did, far be it from me to keep it to myself," Kebi retorted, rubbing his mildly concussed head. _That crossdresser really kicked hard._

"He's right, Mr. 5," came the voice of Miss Goldenweek. "There's a reason why Crocodile left you and Miss Valentine without cuffs. It's because he was confident you couldn't escape from this seastone cage. The only one who could really get us out of here is Mr. 3. The only reason I'm cuffed myself is because Mr. 0 probably didn't know the full range of my abilities. Even if you were fully healed and had more room to use your power, you wouldn't make a dent. As it stands, you're just aggravating your own wound and risking blowing us all up.

Mr. 5 grunted. "So are we just supposed to stand here and wait for our deaths?" he asked.

"No, but possibly making the water flow in faster isn't the solution," she reasoned.

Miss Valentine gulped as she took note of the rising water level in the room. If it kept going on like this, they would drown within minutes. She looked toward Mr. 3. He was usually the one who calmly analyzed the situation and came up with a plan, but he looked just as hopeless as the rest of them, and ever more despondent. There wasn't much he could do with those handcuffs on him. It quite simply seemed like there was no way out of this cage. And even if they did somehow get out, the room was crawling with Bananadiles.

"There is something we could try," Mr. 3 said suddenly, though his voice was subdued. They all looked at him questioningly, even Kohza, who hadn't spoken a word since regaining consciousness. Mr. 3 gestured toward the giant crocodiles outside the cage. "Bananadiles are said to be able to chew through iron. Maybe if we can provoke one-"

"Hey! Get over here you goddamn banana!" Mr. 5 started shouting. "Make yourself useful, you stupid reptile growing out of a phallic shaped fruit!"

The others didn't bother to correct him, opting to watch in anticipation as one of the bananadiles trudged forward toward the cage, glaring at Mr. 5, opened its jaws…

And broke all its teeth trying to bite the cage. Their high hopes plummeting, the former Baroque Works agents and rebel army leaders slumped back in defeat.

"We're all going to die aren't we?" Miss Valentine bemoaned. As the water continued to flow into the room, Kohza looked down and gritted his teeth.

"I've failed our country. Vivi, I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted!"

They all looked toward the source of the sound, startled. The voice had come from outside the cage. They were shocked to see the Alabastian heir wading through the water towards them. She wore a relieved smile.

"Kohza, Kebi, you're both ok! I'm so glad," she said.

"Vivi! How did you find us?" Kebi asked in amazement as Kohza simply stared, as if doubting his own eyes. The agents all gaped at the sight of their former enemy.

"Well, I had some help," she admitted, just as another figure came around the cage and appeared next to her.

Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine stiffened. "Ro-Roronoa!?" the latter questioned, rubbing the ghost of her scar from Whiskey Peak.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. 5 growled.

Zoro shrugged in apathy. "Saving your lives, evidently."

"You should save the smartass remarks for after you've found a way to open the cage," Mr. 3 drawled.

Zoro responded by unstrapping one sheathed sword. "I'm not that good at cutting seastone at this point," he admitted. "But I think I can manage. Wax guy, I need you to come closer to the bars."

Mr. 3 blinked, but figured that he didn't have time to doubt any plan they proposed, and stepped forward. Zoro stepped back and gripped his sheathe as if he were about to draw the blade as Mr. 3 started to catch on. If he was skeptical, he didn't show it. If he was worried about getting his hands cut off, he didn't voice it. Something had changed within him since the encounter with the higher ups of Baroque Works, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by his partner and the 5 pair.

"Hey, are you crazy!?" Mr. 5 shouted. "What are you trying to do, amputate him!?" Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek looked a bit worried as well, but Zoro ignored them all as he committed his full focus to his target. _My technique will have to evolve. Faster, harder, sharper. _

"For the lion to sharpen its fangs, it must first embrace its nature...the reaping of the dead. It's roar is the prelude to carnage. To its prey, its song is a chilling death chant."

Miss Valentine groaned. "What the hell is this dumbass talking abou-"

"_**One sword style...Lion's Elegy!" **_The swordsman drew his blade and sheathed it in one fluid motion. The former agents and rebels watched in awe as the cuffs on Mr. 3's wrists split cleanly down the middle and fell to the floor with a clang. The wax man raised his wrists and stared at them in shock. He hadn't felt a thing. He looked back to Zoro, who was panting slightly.

"Make a key and open the cage," the swordsman instructed.

"R-right," Mr. 3 said dumbly, before forming a small rod with his powers and inserting it into the cage's lock. The wax morphed to fit the mechanism, and the lock clicked open. Zoro proceeded to open the door, and they all filed out of the cage just as Mr. 3's strength started to be drained once again by the rising water.

"Great, now how do we get out of here? There are four devil fruit users!" Mr. 5 lamented as he struggled to stay above the surface.

"_**Three sword style...Rising Whirlwind!" **_The bomb man's question was answered as they were all engulfed in a strong wind that blew the surrounding water away. One might have assumed their plan was to clear a path through the water, had the whirlwind not proceeded to carry them up towards the ceiling, which was quickly cut open by the talented swordsman. Soon, the four agents, the two rebels, and the two Strawhats were making their way out of Rain Diners, ignoring the gobsmacked expressions of the gamblers who had been witnesses to the event.

* * *

_3 PM, outskirts of Alubarna_

The Baroque Works officer agents that had not defected from the organization felt the temperature of the desert air fall drastically as their boss took in the scene before them. Thousands, _thousands_ of rebel soldiers were unconscious on the ground, as if they had all been the victims of some type of chemical warfare. But from the looks of it, they were all alive. It was a frightening scene to behold, but not as frightening as the expression on Sir Crocodile's face.

"What could have done this?" Miss All Sunday wondered aloud, voicing the thoughts of the other four agents.

"The question is not what," Crocodile said, more to himself than to anyone else. "It's _who_."

Miss All Sunday's eyes widened. "You think the Strawhats…?" But Crocodile payed her question no mind, lost in his own thoughts.

_It couldn't have been Strawhat. A man worth 45 million, in this part of the Grand Line, an awakened conqueror? Preposterous! But then who? _

"This would mean that the rest of the rebel army has lost contact with the vanguard," Miss All Sunday analyzed. "The next logical step would be to have them send more, but Mr. 2 is nowhere to be found. Without him, a large part of our plan is compromised."

"Thanks for the status report," Crocodile growled. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

She wisely held her tongue.

"You four," he said, motioning to the 1 and 4 pairs, "Find Mr. 2 by whatever means necessary. If you see any Strawhats along the way, I want you to _disembowel _them." Mr. 1 smirked, satisfied with the choice of words. "Miss All Sunday, you come with me. We're going to _extract _the king and question him about the object of our search.

* * *

"Hey, Tashigi."

The marine swordsman looked up at the one who had addressed her in question. "What is it, Smoker-san?" She didn't want to comment on the fact that there had still been no sign of the Strawhats. It seemed to be their style to cause a ruckus, so the fact that everything seemed normal probably meant that Smoker's hunch had been incorrect.

"Do you find something weird about the state of this town?" Smoker asked. Tashigi looked around, wondering what he meant. After a moment, she turned back to him and shook her head. "Logically, there should be a large concentration of royal soldiers stationed around Alubarna," the smoke man elaborated. "Alabasta is in the midst of a civil war, so the rebels could attack anytime. But there are no troops anywhere. It's almost as if the king isn't expecting an attack or isn't planning to fight back. Either assumption demands an explanation."

Tashigi nodded slowly, catching on. "So you think there is more going on…?" she asked uncertainly.

"I think there's something that we're not seeing," Smoker confirmed. He was silent for a moment. "I think we should take a trip to the royal palace," he said finally.

Tashigi smiled lightly. "Is this another one of your hunches?"

Smoker just grunted.

* * *

"Two of them are coming," Luffy noted.

Nami looked worried. "Which ones?"

"The Mr. 0 pair," he said calmly, causing Usopp's eyes to widen.

"W-what!? Crocodile and Miss All Sunday are coming _here_? Why!?"

"He's after this country's throne. So I'd imagine they're coming for the king," Luffy said. "It'll be bad to fight in the palace, so I'll go meet them outside when they arrive." The others looked concerned but nodded.

"What about the other agents, Luffy?" Sanji asked.

Luffy's brow furrowed in concentration. "They've split up. They're probably looking for you," he said, turning to Mr. 2, who had introduced himself to the crew as Bentham.

Said okama hummed in thought, absently rubbing the rather large bump on his head. Did he have a concussion? Karma really was a bitch. "Those guys know they won't be able to find me if I don't want to be found, especially since they know about my ability. That means they think I'm still on their side, and that I've most likely been captured. If they don't find me soon, they'll most likely come here, even if it's just to report to Mr. 0."

"Well, we can't have that!" Luffy said jovially. "So you guys will just have to take them on," he said, turning to the rest of the crew. "Luckily, our new friend had all their faces memorized and was able to show us. Sanji, bring Bentham with you and take out the blade guy."

Sanji grinned confidently. "Sure thing, Captain."

"Nami, you take out the spiky lady," Luffy continued. Nami raised an eyebrow.

"Tall woman, blue curly hair, walks weird," Bentham supplied. "She'll be close to Mr. 1, so I can help you find her."

Nami nodded, albeit a little nervously, and twirled her new weapon in her hand.

"Usopp, Chopper, Seal, you guys take out the slow guy..."

"Big blonde dude with a giant bat."

"...and the mole lady."

"Short old woman, red hair, talks weird."

Seal let out a squeal of excitement. Usopp and Chopper were not so confident. Chopper was nervous about his first real fight as a member of the Strawhats, while Usopp legs were shaking, but he nevertheless tried to hide his conspicuous fear.

"Just leave it to the great Captain Usopp!"

_Maybe I can just take the mole lady._

"Alright men! Move out!" Luffy shouted.

"Right!"

* * *

As the 4 pair continued their fruitless search for Mr. 2, Miss Merry Christmas grew increasingly annoyed. "This's ridiculous! How har' canit be to fin' a man dress' as a ballerina!?"

"Heeeeeee coooouuuuld beeeeeeee diiiiiiiis-"

"What in tarnation ar' ya tryin'a say 4? Spit i' out already, ya idiot!"

"-diiiiiiisguuiiiiised," Mr. 4 finished. Miss Merry Christmas thought for a moment.

"Disguised? Ya think he's hidin' from us?" she asked. Mr. 4 shrugged, which took a total of 5 seconds. "Stop bein' so slow at everythin' idiot!"

"_**Certain death! Paralysis star!" **_

Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas both felt a stinging sensation in their backs, and reflexively yanked out the objects that had penetrated their skin from behind, although Mr. 4 took noticeably longer to do so.

"What the hell? Needles?"

"Paralytic agents," Chopper supplied. "Those needles are coated in a drug that will weaken your muscles temporarily."

"Why the hell is this reindeer talkin' t' us?" Despite her disbelief, she could already start to feel the effects on her body, and had to morph into her hybrid zoan form to help stave them off. She noted that Mr. 4 was still able to move due to his sheer muscle mass.

"Give up now!" Usopp shouted in what he hoped was an intimidating tone of voice, despite his still shaking legs. "Or else my 8 million followers will come and kick your asses!"

* * *

"This isn't getting us anywhere Mr. 1. If he wanted to be found, we'd have found him by now," Miss Doublefinger reasoned as they walked down a deserted road.

"It's as I thought," Mr. 1 said. His partner looked at him questioningly. "He hasn't been captured. He's defected. As much as I hate to admit it, he's not pathetic enough to be captured by the enemy while in disguise. To begin with, there's no one that knows about his power other than us. We have to assume that this was his plan."

"But why would he desert the organization? What's his motive?" Miss Doublefinger asked.

"Hell if I know."

"Hey, you two!" a voice shouted from behind them. They were instantly on guard, but relaxed when they saw the man in a royal army uniform. "It's dangerous here! There are rumors that the rebel army is going to invade! You should get back to your homes," the man continued as he walked up to them." Miss Doublefinger couldn't' help but raise an amused eyebrow.

"Don't worry about us," Mr. 1 said emotionlessly. "We're not civilians."

"Oh?" the soldier asked, his mouth contorting into a familiar looking grin that instantly put Mr. 1 on guard. "Well that works out perfectly. Because neither am I!" Mr. 1 had just enough time to turn his body into steel as the "soldier's" leg impacted with the side of his face. He was sent crashing into the side of a nearby building. Miss Doublefinger jumped back in shock, but her face morphed into a scowl as she saw a familiar face covered in makeup.

"Got ya!" Bentham exclaimed as he lowered his hand from his face. Behind him, a blond haired man in a suit and tie walked out of an alleyway wordlessly.

"Mr. 2. So you did betray us," Miss Doublefinger said, eyes narrowed.

"The name's Bentham now, honey. Feel free to wear it out." Miss Doublefinger wasted no time and charged at the shapeshifter, spiked fingers ready to impale, but she was suddenly sent rocketing back by what felt like an incredibly strong wind.

"_**Air Pressure Tempo!**_" Miss Doublefinger looked around, searching for the source of the disembodied voice, to no avail. What was going on?

From the broken wall of the nearby building, Mr. 1 climbed out of the wreckage, exuding a frigid rage.

"I've been waiting for this, you scum. Now, what's your favorite internal organ?"

"That would be _your_ heart, shithead," Bentham said mockingly.

Mr. 1 let out an enraged roar and charged at him.

* * *

"I've been waiting for you, Croc."

Crocodile narrowed his eyes. "You're...Strawhat Luffy."

"Oh, so you know me. That makes things easier. Why don't we skip the formalities and get right to the part where I kick your ass around the block?"

Crocodile let out a low growl as Miss All Sunday giggled beside him.

"You're in over your head Strawhat. I've buried hundreds of rookies like you. You're about to learn how out of your depth you are."

"Nice speech," Luffy drawled. "Is that what Whitebeard told you?"

Crocodiles vein was clearly visible over his forehead as he sent a large wave of sand in Luffy's direction. The rubber man jumped over it and landed smoothly.

"I'm going to enjoy impaling you, fool."

"Are you sure I'm the fool here?" Luffy asked with a grin, before slipping into his Sanji persona. "Hello, you've reached the shitty restaurant. What would you like to order?"

Crocodile's eyes narrowed in further outrage. Miss All Sunday, who had been present during the conversation, couldn't contain her mirth any longer and burst into a fit of laughter.

"Is something funny?" Crocodile seethed. "Perhaps I should kill you too, Nico Robin. Don't test the limits of my rationality. Right now, I'm fucking _pissed_."

"Do as you wish," Robin replied. "But whatever happened to your promise not to call me by that name?"

"It's really too bad. Your real name sounds a lot better than that codename you go by," Luffy commented, to her slight surprise. Crocodile was much too livid to care at the moment.

"And you," Luffy continued, turning to the warlord. "You can say that I'm a fool, that I'm a rookie with no idea what I'm getting into, that I'm in over my head. But that changes nothing," He cracked his knuckles, and his expression turned menacing before their very eyes. "You think _you're_ pissed? You don't know what pissed _is_." Crocodile watched in shock as the rookie's fist darkened to obsidian.

_Armaments haki?_

"You make my crewmate cry, you threaten her country with war, you plan to steal a force you can't hope to control, and you kill because it's fun. You have made me _very _pissed. And you're gonna regret it." As quickly as it changed, his fist went back to normal.

"She's so weak, but she tries her best to save everyone. She can't bear the thought of loss, so she's always in pain. She wants this civil war to end without anyone dying."

It took Crocodile a moment to realize that he was talking about Princess Vivi. "There are many sentimental fools like that," he responded. "People like her don't know death. They don't know the truth of battle. You're a pirate, aren't you? You should agree with me, at the very least."

"Yea, I do," Luffy replied. "But…" His eyes hardened. "I'll let her keep her naivety a little longer. I'll make her desire real. I'm going to save this country, and I'm not going to let anyone get in my way."

Crocodile snarled.

"Whether it's you, the marines, or even death itself."

"Strawhat!" a voice shouted. Crocodile and Robin both looked up to see Smoker, the White Hunter, standing on a nearby rooftop, along with a blue haired woman with a sword strapped to her hip.

Crocodile's surprise grew. _He knew they were coming. Observation haki too? Then...could he have been the one who…?_

His train of thought was interrupted as Smoker leapt down from the roof. "So you were here, Strawhat. I had a feeling."

Luffy sighed. "You and your feelings Smokey. How are your injuries healing?"

Smoker scoffed. "Fine, thanks for asking. Now I have some questions for you."

"Can it wait 10 minutes? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Right, that's my first question. What the hell is Crocodile doing here in Alubarna?"

Crocodile, meanwhile, was seething again. _10 minutes? Who does this damn brat think he is!?_

His anger seeking an outlet, Crocodile dispersed into sand and flew at Luffy, who parried the swipe of the golden hook with his hand. It wasn't long before Smoker and Tashigi joined the fray, while Robin stood back passively and watched the battle ensue.

* * *

A/N: I was going to publish this chapter last night, but I spontaneously decided to make it 2000 words longer. So whether you love me or hate me for that decision, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Lost out.


	31. Things Heat Up

Kudos to WolftheForsaken for being the first reviewer to point out that I took a line from The Avengers. Though I'm guessing the vast majority of you noticed. I just couldn't help myself. It fit so well!

Some of you were wondering why I'm calling Mr. 2 Bentham. Well...it's because that's his name! Don't believe me? Look it up on the wiki. Bon Kurei was an alias. Anyway, onto the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. But can at least own the rights to funny disclaimers? No? Huh? What do you mean I'm not important enough? What do you mean I'm out of material anyway!? Oh...yea.

Dammit.

* * *

Chapter XXXI: Things Heat Up

"Leave me alone, Smokey!" Luffy shouted as he dodged yet another jab from the logia user's jutte. He was immediately forced to keep moving as Crocodile's hand reached out to grab him. _Well this is annoying._ _If either of these guys land a hit, I'm crippled._ He was broken out of his thoughts as Tashigi jumped over his other two opponents and swiped at him with her sword. He quickly caught her sword with his bare hand, a simple haki coating ensuring that he didn't get cut, and pulled, using the weapon to block Smoker's jutte. He then kicked Smoker out of the way, sending him flying across the sand. Seeing Crocodile homing in again, he then deliberately pushed Tashigi toward the sand man. She yelped in surprise as her sword blackened in her hands, and Crocodile's eyes widened as he swayed back to avoid the armaments hardened blade.

Meanwhile, Robin was watching the fight play out curiously. She could tell that the Strawhat captain was playing with them, which surprised her. She never thought she'd see the day when she saw a rookie pirate treat a fight with a royal warlord like a joke. But that wasn't bothering her as much as what he had said earlier. _You plan to steal a force you can't hope to control._

He was talking about Pluton.

But how? How could he possibly know that the weapon was hidden in this country, let alone that Crocodile was searching for it? The warlord himself was too angry at the moment to stop and think about the implications of what he had heard. But if there was one thing Robin was good at, it was keeping a clear head. She thought back to her first encounter with Monkey D. Luffy, back in Whiskey Peak. He had known who she was right off the bat, but what he said back then hadn't been a threat so much as a warning. A warning not to underestimate him. It wasn't even hostility, really. It was only natural given how she had been antagonizing his new crewmate.

Yes, she had been playing games with the princess, allowing her to discover Mr. 0's identity only to inform him later on. She had taken the warning for what it meant: if she was going to play games, she would lose. If she hadn't thought much of it at first, seeing him taking on Crocodile and the White Hunter at the same time, along with the revelation that he knew about Pluton, may have changed her perspective a bit.

"What's wrong, Robin? Not going to join in?" came the man's voice. Robin just stared at him. He wasn't mocking her, so much as...joking around. Why was he acting this way around his enemy? She supposed he might just not view her as a threat, but his tone was almost playful, as if it was completely natural for him to act friendly towards her, of all the ridiculous things in the world.

She suddenly wanted to test something out. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she threw caution to the wind and crossed her arms, copies of which suddenly sprouted all over the Strawhat captain's body. Smoker and Tashigi suddenly stopped attacking. Smoker looked over to her, as if considering her presence for the first time. Crocodile also stopped, and shot an annoyed glare at her.

"Insufferable woman! He's mine to kill!" the sand man shouted. But Robin made no other move against the pirate, who simply stood there, seemingly trapped in her grip.

And then he smiled at her. "Well? Are you going to do it or not?" he asked. "To be honest, I'd prefer if you didn't." Robin's eyes widened.

_What is he playing at? There's no way I really have him beat. Why doesn't he retaliate?_

Suddenly, Crocodile lost his patience and lunged at Luffy. While the two marines didn't want to attack him while he was seemingly immobilized, the warlord was less hesitant as his arm morphed into a crescent of sand.

Later Robin would tell herself that the reason she let go was simply because she was startled. But she had never been too good at fooling herself. The hands dematerialized and Luffy jumped out of the way of the attack that could have sucked every drop of water from his body.

Crocodile suddenly started laughing. "If you think you can save this country by dodging all day, by all means try," he said. Smoker looked over at Crocodile, curiosity piqued.

"Save this country? What are you talking about, pirate?" Crocodile shot him an annoyed glare.

"Stay out of it, marine scum." Smoker's eyes narrowed.

"He was planning to overthrow this country during the chaos of the rebellion," Luffy stated. "He's the leader of an underground organization called Baroque Works. He goes by the name Mr. 0."

Smoker's eyes widened in realization at the sound of the code name. It took him a moment to think things through. "So that's what's going on here," he said quietly.

Crocodile growled in agitation. Suddenly, he removed the golden casing on his hooked hand and revealed the poisoned metal underneath. "You escort the princess here. You take down my agents time and again. You take out the rebel army, foiling my plans one after another, and now you've gotten the marines involved. It's time I treat you like the nuisance you really are, Strawhat Luffy." A crazed grin manifested on the man's face. "But for all of your efforts, you will not succeed. This country will not be saved! And do you know why?"

"Is it because you hid a bomb in the clock tower?" Luffy asked.

Robin watched as for the first time since she had met him, Sir Crocodile's eyes widened in shock.

"What…? When…? How…?"

"Your agent told me," Luffy said, grinning.

Crocodile stared dumbly before he realized what Luffy was implying, and his face morphed into a menacing scowl. He stood there for a moment, shaking with rage, as he tried to regain his composure. Meanwhile, Smoker turned back to Luffy.

"What bomb? What are you talking about, Strawhat?"

"There's a bomb set to go off at 4 pm in the clock tower. If we don't stop it, Alubarna will be engulfed in a blast big enough to level the city."

Smoker's eyes widened slightly, while Tashigi gasped. Luffy thought for a moment. "Actually, this is perfect. Would you guys mind stopping the bombing while I beat this guy up?" he asked pointing at the warlord.

Tashigi looked at Smoker uncertainly. Strictly speaking, protocol demanded that they stay out of the affairs of the warlords unless ordered otherwise. But if they waited for proof in this situation, there was no telling what could happen. If Strawhat was telling the truth, a lot of people would pay the price for their negligence.

"We're leaving Tashigi," Smoker said, seemingly coming to the same conclusion. Tashigi nodded quickly and followed the marine captain, but they were quickly cut off by Crocodile in his logia form.

"Did you think I'd just let you go?" he asked in a low tone as he aimed his poisonous hook at Tashigi. Knowing that Smoker would be intangible, he was hoping this would throw the smoke man off. His plan was foiled, however, when Smoker blocked the hook with his seastone jutte. Crocodile responded by grabbing the jutte by its shaft, which was made of normal stone. The weapon suddenly dissolved into sand, causing Smoker to grunt in shock. Crocodile swiped at him this time, but he dissolved into smoke. As Crocodile raised his hook again, the smoke homed in on him, but he too fell back into his logia form. Tashigi had her sword up at the ready to block the hook, but she was unable to anticipate the path of the disembodied arm.

"_Gomu gomu no...Desert Eagle!" _Luffy's blackened hand impacted with Crocodile's face, sending him skidding across the ground until he finally righted himself, looking disheveled and livid but no worse for the wear. "Your opponent is me!" Luffy shouted as he appeared right in front of the sand man again. His fist, which was pointed at his opponent, was still blackened, but now they could see it had a red tinge to it, and it appeared to be...steaming?

Crocodile raised a hand to the ugly red bruise on his face. When he brought it down and saw the blood, his face darkened. "I've had enough," he said quietly, as all the sand in the area started to rise and swirl. Luffy turned to Smoker and Tashigi and nodded at them. Smoker stared at him for a few seconds before returning the nod. He signalled to Tashigi, and they both left the scene.

"Are you sure?" Luffy asked, addressing the warlord. "Because I'm just getting started."

* * *

"Why are these guys so weird!?" Usopp complained as he pushed himself off the ground, attempting to recover from the near miss of the last explosion. "They talk weird, they fight weird, and their cannon is a frickin' dog! They're weirder than you are Chopper!"

"Take that back you asshole!" Chopper yelled indignantly.

"Why are you getting offended!? Fine, you're weirder! Are you happy!?"

"No!"

Seal let out a low whine, telling them to stop arguing.

"Seal's right. We have to focus on beating these guys. Usopp, give us some cover!"

"Ok. The poison should at least slow them down enough for our plan to work." To be honest, every fiber of his being was telling him to run away from this forsaken fight. But he knew he could never look Vivi or any of his other crewmates in the eye if he did that. He was a Strawhat too, and he needed pull his weight. Soon after they had arrived, the Mr. 4 pair had altered the field to their advantage, and now there were mole holes all over the battlefield. The mole lady was digging around in them, which was part of their plan.

When the dog shot another explosive ball at them, Usopp matched it with an explosive star, causing it to explode before it reached them. Next he pulled out a wide scale smoke bomb.

"_Certain death! Smoke star!"_ he yelled as he shot it at the dog. The area became shrouded in a thick veil, and the dog looked around on confusion, not knowing where to aim as Chopper, Usopp, and Seal ran around under their cover.

Their plan was impeded, however, as Miss Merry Christmas grabbed Usopp's foot from below. "That won' work on me, bastard! I can smell ya!" Usopp gasped as the mole woman pulled him towards a brick building. He gritted his teeth, preparing for impact, and coughed up blood as he impacted face first into the brick wall. He fell over backwards, but Chopper quickly caught him in walk point.

"Are you ok Usopp!?" he shouted in concern.

Usopp wheezed. "I'm...fine…" he insisted. "Stick to the plan!"

"Right!" Usopp handed the human reindeer a tabasco star, and Chopper used his nose to track down the dog. Miss Merry Christmas continued to pester him as he ran, but seeing as he could smell her too, he was able to avoid her in walk point. He quickly shoved the tabasco star into the dog's mouth. The canine gun hybrid's eyes started to water, and right as he was about to sneeze, Chopper went into heavy point and shoved his face down into one of the holes.

A series of explosions could be heard beneath the ground, along with the comparatively faint screams of a certain mole woman. When she climbed out of the hole, smoking and burnt, but still conscious, Seal leapt at her and punched her across the face, letting out what was probably his equivalent of a battle cry. Miss Merry Christmas swiped at him with her claws, but the damage from the explosions and the effects of the drug were stacking up and taking a major toll on her, and Seal easily dodged. He then launched into a furious combo that completely betrayed his appearance. He ended with an uppercut that finally rendered the mole woman unconscious.

"Way to go Seal!" Usopp shouted, regaining his bearings. Finally, the smoke started to clear, and Mr. 4 was shocked to see his partner defeated.

"_Rumble!_" Chopper ate a rumble ball, determined not to let up. The dog, now over its fit of sneezing, shot another ball at the reindeer, who went into jump point and leapt over it. As he switched in between jump point and walk point, homing in on Mr. 4 all the while, the dog continually missed him. Finally, the dog waited and took aim while he was in the air.

"_Certain death! Explosive star!"_ The explosive projectile was shot directly into the dog's mouth, courtesy of Usopp, and its eyes widened as both bombs went off in its jaw. It didn't get up after that. Mr. 4 was still processing the fact that he was alone now when he was hit across the face by Seal. He recoiled, but brushed off the hit, and swung his bat, which narrowly missed the kung fu dugong. He was then hit in the head by another explosive star, leaving an opening for Chopper.

"_Kokutei, Roseo!_" Chopper implanted his hoof into the same spot, causing Mr. 4 to groan in pain. Nevertheless, he swung his bat in one last act of defiance. As he was in the air, Chopper had no choice but to use guard point.

The hit was still devastating. If the monster of a man hadn't been disoriented and weakened, Chopper was convinced he wouldn't be getting up for a long time. Mr. 4 recovered momentarily and raised his bat again, but his hand was hit with yet another explosive star, and he dropped the bat. Seal took the chance to land another hit on his head, and the force of the blow was finally enough to cause him to reel back. He caught himself on his back foot, but couldn't recover in time to defend against Chopper, who had recovered himself.

"_Kokutei, Cross!" _The finishing blow impacted with Mr. 4's skull, and the man's eyes finally rolled back into his head as he toppled over onto the sand with a loud thud, leaving the strawhat trio to collapse and pant in victory.

* * *

Sanji leapt to the side to avoid another swipe of Mr. 1's bladed arms and quickly swept his legs out from under him. Ignoring the pain of his legs impacting with the steel, he took the opportunity to slam his heel against the man's skull before leaping back. He took a few seconds to catch his breath as Bentham swapped in and aimed a drop kick down on Mr. 1's torso, but the only slightly disoriented man rolled out of the way and crossed his arms as he got up before attempting to slash across the okama's chest. Bentham ducked under the man's bladed arms and landed an uppercut to his chin, sending him reeling back, but Mr. 1 righted himself and headbutted him, which had a much greater effect given his steel body and larger mass.

As Bentham was sent careening backwards, Sanji ran in and sidestepped a bladed kick from before launching into a flurry of kicks aimed at any body part other than the blade man's arms and legs. He finished with a mutton shot, kicking his opponent through a house onto the other side of the block.

"I hope you don't think that'll be enough to keep him down," came the voice of Miss Doublefinger. The woman looked positively annoyed. Her hair was standing up on end, as if she had received some sort of electric shock, but Sanji wasn't sure how that could have happened.

_So this is Nami-san's new fighting style._ _I think I'm falling in love all over again. I'm not sure how, but it looks like she can turn invisible, so I don't have to worry about her for the time being. I better focus on the steel guy for now. I can't kick that spikey woman anyway. _

Thus, Sanji was forced to dodge numerous attempts to maim him through the use of the woman's bodily spikes. Bentham evidently realized he wasn't attacking.

"Hey, what are playing at spiral cook? She just left a few openings for you, in case you didn't notice!"

"Shut it you shitty ballerina! I won't kick a woman! I'd rather die!" he shouted in response as he continued dodging. Miss Doublefinger raised an amused eyebrow at his bold statement.

"Then you shall!" she claimed as she turned both her hands as well as her head into spiked balls. She started swinging at him rapidly, throwing in kicks of her own with her spiked heels, but Sanji simply kept dodging her, playing a purely evasive game. She was started to grow annoyed as it became more and more apparent that she couldn't land a hit.

It was then that she felt a sense of deja vu as the air around her grew warmer, and then colder moments afterwards. She looked up and noticed a cloud, much like the one that had shocked her earlier. She gritted her teeth as she looked around for her assailant again, with limited success. She did however, find where the source of the atmospheric disturbances were coming from, seeing as they were visible and quite conspicuous.

Seeing this, she ran towards the location where the red and blue orbs were originating from. "You won't fool me so easily a second time!" she shouted in contempt.

"Nami-san!" Sanji shouted in worry, but soon found himself preoccupied as Mr. 1 joined the fray again. Miss Doublefinger froze mid stride, however, as Nami suddenly materialized off to the side, smirking.

_What? She's over there? So it was a diversion? _She immediately altered her course off to the side just as Nami brought her staff up. Blue lightning sparked in the cloud overhead, ready to strike. Sanji and Bentham watched in horror as Miss Doublefinger's spiked fist impaled Nami's skull.

Only for her skull to fade into a haze around the limb. "What!?" Miss Doublefinger exclaimed as she turned back to the spot she had previously been running to.

"Fooled you," Nami said, sticking her tongue out, as the lightning struck her opponent, who screamed in pain. She struggled to keep herself upright after being struck by lightning for the second time that day. But Nami wasn't done yet. "Beware of twisters!" she shouted as she ran towards her opponent, staff at the ready. "Tornado tempo!"

Miss Doublefinger watched wearily as fake birds popped out of the staff, which didn't seem to shake Nami's confidence in the slightest. "Is that it!?" Miss Doublefinger yelled, getting ready to spear her through. But she was unable to move her arms as the wired birds wrapped around her arms and legs. The end section of the staffs started spinning, lifted her off of her feet. She lost all orientation as she spun faster and faster, until suddenly she was launched through a building and came out the other side, much the same way Mr. 1 had been sent hurtling earlier. Only she lacked the defense that came with his devil fruit and was already on her last ropes. Landed on the other side of the partly demolished house, she didn't rise again.

Mr. 1 watched in anger as his partner was defeated. "You bitch," he hissed as he broke away from Sanji, who was panting from his constant hit and run tactics with the blade man. Nami's eyes widened as Mr. 1 ran towards him.

_Not good. My time limit for mirage tempo is up, thunderbolt tempo needs time to charge, and tornado tempo is a one time deal! _She could do nothing but raise her clima tact in a poor attempt to ward off his bladed limbs as Sanji struggled to get there in time. She suddenly felt herself being pushed out of the way, however, and she landed roughly on the ground. She looked up to the horrifying sight of Bentham bleeding heavily, having been impaled by Mr. 1's arm. She covered her mouth in shock.

"I told you didn't I?" Mr. 1 said in a low tone. "This was bound to happen, one way or another, Mr. 2." He tossed Mr. 2 off of his arm like a rag doll, and the okama landed in a heap on the side of the road. "Or whatever you call yourself now." He moved in to land the finishing blow, but his arm was stopped abruptly before it could meet its target.

Sanji's leg, raised in a block, bled profusely as he held Mr.1 at bay. The officer agent gritted his teeth as he attempted to force Sanji out of the way, but despite the pain he must have been in, Sanji wouldn't budge. He simply glared at his opponent before redirecting his blow to the side and roundhouse kicking him across the street. Nami took the time to look over Bentham. He had managed to avoid a fatal injury, but he was still bleeding heavily. They needed to get him help, and fast.

Sanji quickly jumped into the air above Mr. 1 as the man fell, ignoring the blood seeping from his leg with every movement, and spun in a vertical circle before finally bringing his good heel crashing down on the agent's face. "_Concasse."_

He leapt back again as Mr. 1 got up, slightly unsteadily. The blade man raised one hand to the bridge of his nose and brought it down. Blood. Realizing his nose was broken, he did what no one would expect. He grinned at Sanji.

"It's been awhile since an enemy has drawn blood from me. I suppose I should thank you for the thrill of a decent fight," he said. Sanji said nothing in response.

_I have to finish this. The okama needs medical treatment, and this guy is insanely strong. I wouldn't have even made it this far if not the training I've been putting myself through. _He braced himself as his opponent's arms morphed into what looked like buzzsaws. He _really_ didn't want to get hit by those.

The two charged at each other, and Sanji leapt over him, kicking his head towards the pavement. He landed behind him, and kicked him in the side before he could get up, sending him hurtling down the street before he righted himself, grunting. Sanji followed up, delivering a hail of kicks to the agent's head, neck, and torso. Anywhere that he wouldn't injure himself by kicking once his opponent turned into a blade. He had noticed early on in the fight that his entire body couldn't turn into a blade edge. Blades had two edges and two blunt sides, after all.

"_Mutton shot!" _he shouted as he thrust his leg forward_. _Mr. 1 was prepared and took the hit, groaning as he slid back on his feet. Suddenly, they heard another crackle of thunder overhead, causing them both to look up. Another cloud had formed above Mr. 1's head, causing Sanji's eyes to widen.

"Nami-san, don't!" he shouted. It was too late though.

"_Thunderbolt tempo!_" The lightning came crashing down on Mr. 1 as Sanji shielded his eyes. When it cleared, Mr. 1 was still standing. Sparks of electricity emanated from his body. He looked downright pissed, but otherwise unaffected. Nami's eyes widened in realization. _He's a conductor!_

Mr. 1 launched himself towards Nami. Sanji tried to follow after him, but his leg chose that moment to fail him, and he dropped to one knee. _ Shit! Not now! _he thought frantically.

Nami's staff was knocked out of her hand a bladed arm. She ducked to avoid another jab, but fell over onto the ground in the process. She barely had time to move her head to avoid the next attack, but her shoulder was pierced instead, pinning her to the ground and eliciting a high pitched scream.

"This is what happens when you play with toys on the battlefield," Mr. 1 said emotionlessly. He was about to pierce her skull when he was sent crashing into a house for what felt like the tenth time that day. Only each time it was gradually getting more painful. As he picked himself up out of the rubble, he could see why. The blond haired man had seemed to gain an extra surge of adrenaline, and was now walking on towards him effortlessly despite the injury to his leg. The glare Mr. 1 was faced with threatened to burn a hole through him.

"You have spirit, I'll give you that," Mr. 1 said. "But your kicks aren't enough to stop me. Anyone can see that you're wearing down." Sanji's stopped in front of him before responding.

"You're right. I haven't been good enough. But…" he bit his cigarette in half. "I'm a bit heated up now."

To Mr. 1's bewilderment, he started rapidly spinning in a circle with his leg raised, fast enough that he was a complete blur. When he stopped, his previously black leg was glowing orange, as if it had just been dipped into a furnace, except the leg itself didn't seem to be burning.

"Cooking is a gift from the gods. Spices are a gift from the devil." He lunged towards Mr. 1. "Have a taste."

The officer agent tried to block the blow by crossing his arms, but Sanji anticipated the move, and his foot connected with his stomach anyway, the pressure from the kick driving a searing heat throughout his conductive body. He moaned in pain and stumbled backwards, clutching his abdomen, which gave Sanji an opening to land another kick across his face. He felt like his skull was aflame.

Sanji thought back to his conversation with Zoro prior to their arrival in Alabasta. _This technique will help you penetrate some of the toughest defenses, but it will also damage your body greatly until you master it. Try not to use it too much until you toughen up some more. The stress on your legs could cost you the fight if you don't end it quickly._

Wasting no time, Sanji ducked under Mr. 1's defense and got ready to finish it.

"_Flamber: Anti Manner Kick Course!" _Mr. 1 was launched up into the air by Sanji's leg and howled in pain, but Sanji wasn't done yet. He jumped up into the air above Mr. 1. Working passed the pain, the blade man took the chance to launch one last counterattack.

"_Atomic Dicer!_" Two large gashes appeared across Sanji's chest as he raised his leg, but he roared with determination and brought it down.

"_Flamber: Reception_!" His leg jutted straight down into Mr 1's already damaged torso, and the blade man's defense shattered along with his ribs as he was sent crashing back down to the pavement below.

Sanji landed in front of him, panting heavily. His leg shifted back to its normal shade of black as he lit another cigarette. "Guess it was a little too spicy for you," he muttered, before promptly collapsing onto the ground.

"Sanji-kun!" came Nami's worried voice as she ran towards him.

"Nami-saaaan," Sanji crowed weakly. "Did you fall in love with me even more?"

Nami sighed. "Sure, why not. Good job out there." She helped him to his feet, which instantly caused his eyes to be replaced by hearts. "But we have to get Bentham out of here, and I'm not sure if I can carry you both," she said. "Do you think you can walk?"

Sanji's face was slightly downcast as he trudged over to the okama. "Right...I'll carry him," he said, causing Nami to look after him worriedly.

"Are you sure? You're injuries are worse than mine…" But this only caused Sanji to go off on a hopeless rant about how he could never stand by and watch a lady do the heavy lifting as he hoisted Bentham onto his shoulder, careful not to aggravate the wound further. Eventually Nami just sighed and relented, following beside him.

* * *

A/N: Get it? Heating up?

...

Yea! It's a pun! Ahahahahaha!

...No? Fine, whatever. *Throws hands up in the air* Lost out.


	32. The Winning Side

Ok ok! The heating up pun is overused. I get it.

On another note, chapter 30 broke my personal record for number of reviews, and it only took about a week. I was pleasantly surprised.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXII: The Winning Side

_3:55 pm, Alubarna_

Tashigi rushed to keep up with Captain Smoker as he glided across rooftops using his devil fruit. They only had 5 minutes before the bomb was fired. They had to get to the clock tower quickly. As the building came within sight, Tashigi noted that it would take time for her to actually get to the top, but Smoker could simply glide all the way up.

"Tashigi!" the smoke man yelled. "I'm going to give you a boost!"

"Right!" she consented, before grabbing hold of her superior's hand. Smoker wasted no time and took them both straight to the top just as the clock, which turned out to be a door, opened to reveal two eccentrically dressed agents carrying pistols and laughing. Behind them, Tashigi could see the cannon that they were going to use to fire the bomb. They stopped laughing when they caught sight of the two marines flying towards them, and started shooting, Smoker evaded the shots, but as they drew closer, Tashigi took note of the match in one of the agents' hands. Smoker saw the same thing and threw Tashigi into the clock tower just the fuse was lit. Tashigi quickly drew her sword and incapacitated the two agents before turning to the fuse and severing it. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, but it caught in her throat as she heard the ticking coming from the bomb. Realizing what was happening immediately, Tashigi turned to Smoker, who had just landed beside her.

"Smoker-san, the bomb is timed!" she yelled frantically. Smoker froze as he came to the same conclusion. He seemed to think for a moment before he walked toward the opening of the cannon.

"Only one thing to do then," he muttered. In an impressive show of strength, he pulled the bomb out of the muzzle and hoisted it over his shoulder. Tashigi's eyes widened.

"Smoker-san, what are you-" But Smoker had already jumped out of the tower and was rising into the air, carrying the bomb with him. It was with horror that Tashigi realized what he was going to do. She screamed after him as he flew higher and higher, the bomb ticking away all the while. It was only when Smoker was far too high to hear her desperate shouts any longer that the bomb detonated, and she had to cover her eyes to shield them from the blinding light of the explosion that seemed to block out the sky. When the sky cleared, Tashigi just stared up at it numbly, not believing what had just happened. When it finally sank in, she dropped to her knees, tears flowing down he cheeks. Sobs racked her body as she wondered how he could just leave like that, without so much as a farewell...no, how could he leave her_ at all?_ What was he thinking? What-

"What are you crying about?" a voice asked from behind her. "You call yourself a marine, you over emotional clutz of a girl?" Tashigi froze, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. She slowly turned around, towards the source of the all too familiar voice, to face Captain Smoker, standing there without a scratch on him.

"Captain..." she said numbly.

"What?" Smoker asked in annoyance. "You do know I'm a logia right? What the hell did you expect to happen?"

But Tashigi just tackled him in a hug, ignoring his indignant protests and half hearted threats.

* * *

"**_Desert Sword_**_!_" Crocodile shouted as a long fissure appeared in the sand below Luffy's feet, prompting him to jump over it to avoid being speared and falling in. He quickly readied his own assault as his blackened fist twisted behind him.

"_**Gomu gomu no...Ape Rifle**!" _The blow was dodged by the sandman, who dispersed into sand a fraction of a second before it connected. Crocodile reformed in front of Luffy and tried to gut him with his poison hook, but Luffy deflected it with his haki imbued hand. He grabbed the warlord by the arm and swung him over his shoulder into the air. Crocodile barely had enough time to right himself before Luffy was in front of him again, his arms reared back, ready to strike. "_**Gomu gomu no...Pan Bazooka**!_" His attack hit dead on this time, sending Crocodile through the air like a rag doll before he rolled to a stop on the sand below. He quickly recovered and stood up.

Luffy knew that fighting Crocodile in the desert would be no walk in the park. His victory last time had been due to a combination of luck and overconfidence on the logia's part. Through sheer circumstance, he had discovered Crocodile's weakness and had been able to exploit it. But it wasn't until he had seen the former warlord in action during the War of the Best that he had realized just how effective that weakness had been. Coming into contact with water didn't just prevent Crocodile from turning into sand; it weakened his body significantly. If it hadn't been for that factor, Luffy knew that for all he had gone through in Alabasta, he never would have kept the New World veteran down for long. But every time Luffy had utilized water in his assaults, he had chipped away at Crocodile's endurance and stamina until their encounter in the royal tomb, where the warlord had been fighting at a small fraction of his usual ability. Even so, he had lost twice before pulling off a victory. Sometimes, looking back, he wondered if luck was actually a matter of innate talent rather than probability. Was he just good at being lucky?

Even now he knew he had to be careful. His resistance to poison had not reverted back to his younger body as far as he knew, and he wasn't willing to find out the hard way. And then there was that whole 'dry you up with a single touch' thing. _Croc's fruit is stupid_, he decided.

He was broken out of his musings as the sand beneath his feet gave away. "_**Desert Sunflower**!_" Crocodile growled as Luffy jumped into the air and used geppou to escape the range of the sinkhole.

_Not just haki, but rokushiki too? Who is this rookie? _His body dissolved into sand again as he attempted to intercept the rubber man in midair. "_**Desert Crescent**!_" Luffy ducked under the crescent shaped blade of sand and aimed a kick at Crocodile. The sandman grunted as he blocked with his forearm before dematerializing and reforming behind Luffy.

"**_Sables_**," he said as he caught the rookie in a miniature sandstorm. Luffy was blown back into the sinkhole that Crocodile had made and landed in, but as the warlord tried to bury him, Luffy escaped with his air walking technique again. Crocodile grimaced, realizing that his home field advantage was neutralized by the rubber man's mobility. He appeared behind him again and tried to impale him through the back, but Luffy twisted around the moment he materialized and redirected the jab.

"**_Gomu gomu no…_**" Crocodile's eyes widened as Luffy's body started to steam again and his obsidian black arms took on a familiar red tinge. "_**Eagle Bazooka**!_" The sandman was launched back through the air and skidded along the desert sand, unable to right himself this time. He finally rolled to a stop and groaned as he picked himself up. He suddenly hunched over and coughed up a wad of blood. Before he could even recover, his opponent was in front of him again. "_**Hawk Rifle**!_" The punch impacted with his face and he was sent hurtling across the sand again. He struggled to get up, and for a split second, the world around him turned hazy before his vision cleared.

"No," he growled. "Unacceptable! I will not be defeated, especially not by some run of the mill rookie pirate!" Luffy smirked at the statement and spread his arms out in open invitation. Crocodile almost charged again, but controlled himself. Instead, he channeled his focus into the environment, into the surrounding desert. The sand around them began to stir, and Luffy's eyes widened imperceptibly.

Suddenly, the desert seemed to rise, as if awoken from its slumber. Waves of sand rose to incredible heights as the ground itself surrounded the two pirates before it came crashing down on them.

"_**Desert Tsunami**!_" Crocodile shouted with a dangerous grin on his face. Luffy did the one thing that would make sense in the situation, which was to use geppou to ascend straight upwards, avoiding the tidal waves of sand. But Crocodile flew into the air after him, and the colossal waves followed behind as they took the fight to the sky.

_He never used this last time_, Luffy thought. Then again, they had only fought in the desert once, and during that time Crocodile had controlled the fight with ease, to the point where he probably had no need to. Suddenly, Luffy paled, having realized that he'd forgotten about Robin. In his haste to end the fight, Crocodile had done the same. Luffy quickly locked onto her with his observation haki. He sighed in relief as he noted that she had managed to take refuge on top of one of the buildings, but the sand was still rising, and would reach her soon. In fact, if this kept up, the civilians in Alubarna could be in danger as well. He had to end this quickly.

As Crocodile ascended towards him, Luffy used geppou to speed up his own descent. His haki imbued arms stretched out behind him, taking on red tinge and then erupting into flame. _"**Gomu gomu no…**" _Crocodile ignored this new development as he readied his own assault. The widespread waves of sand surrounding him took on the shape of giant blades as they were launched up at Luffy.

"_**Desert Rapier**!_" Crocodile shouted just as Luffy brought his arms down.

"_**Red Hawk Cannon**!_" His armaments and flame enhanced arms pierced through the sand like a hot knife through butter. His fists made contact with Crocodile's abdomen, resulting in a massive explosion that sent the warlord hurtling down towards the ground. The impact caused widespread destruction across the city block, and a couple of buildings collapsed even as the previously rising waves of sand started to recede.

Luffy landed smoothly in front of the bloody, burnt, and unconscious heap that was Sir Crocodile of the Seven Warlords. He reached for the hat that was now dangling around his neck and placed it back on his head. Off to the side, he heard Robin jump down from the building she had taken refuge on and land with a soft thud. She stared at Crocodile in shock. Which was understandable. It wasn't every day a rookie from East Blue took out a royal warlord without so much as a scratch to show for it.

Luffy then turned towards Robin, who stiffened. He took a few steps toward her, but stopped when she took a step back and crossed her arms. He raised his arms in a placating manner. "Relax. I'm not going to attack you." Clearly she didn't believe him. Luffy winced as fear rolled off of her in waves. She was good at hiding it. Outwardly, she actually looked calm, save for her rigid posture, but Luffy's observation haki didn't lie.

Suddenly, Robin let out a breath before slowly lowering her arms to her sides. Her eyes lowered along with them, refusing to meet Luffy's. Her posture was defeated, and her smile bitter.

"I'm on the losing side of this game," she recited. "So it would appear."

There was an abundance of things that Luffy wanted to do at that moment. This was Robin. Crewmate, comrade, friend. _Family_. He wanted to comfort her and tell her to hang in there. He wanted to run up to her, grab her by the shoulders, and scream at her, telling her she wasn't alone. In the end, he settled for the next best thing.

"That depends which side you're playing on. You haven't lost just yet."

Robin looked up and met his eyes, and was confused by what she saw in them. It wasn't hate, or scorn, or even disappointment. She could pick up on such emotions with a single glance. But this was different. The look in his eyes was familiar, but it was something she hadn't seen in so long that she almost forgot what it looked like. She almost found herself wishing he would glare at her like everyone else. That way she'd be in familiar territory. But a small voice in her mind, a part that had long been silenced, suddenly spoke up for the first time in years, telling her that this was better.

She suddenly laughed, dryly, humorlessly, and yet somehow still melodically, as she considered his words. "I don't think there's a winning side for me, Monkey D. Luffy."

"Well then," Luffy said, before a grin stretched across his face. "I'll just have to prove you wrong."

Robin stared at him in open curiosity. "Not many have accomplished such a feat."

Luffy's grin turned amused as he wordlessly pointed toward Crocodile's fallen, defeated form. "And I'm guessing that's a first too."

Robin blinked, and a small, amused chuckle escaped her lips despite her efforts to contain it, which caused Luffy's grin to widen.

"See? That's much better," he said cryptically. Robin stiffened, having caught herself, and her mask fell back in place. Luffy pouted internally.

"What's better?" Robin asked in slight confusion.

"Your real laugh. I like it. It's much better than that fake smile you put on."

Robin was silent for a moment. "Someone once told me that a fake laugh is better than no laugh at all," she finally said.

_Well crap, _Luffy thought. Robin had told him the story of Jaguar D. Saul once. He had listened very intently to every detail, and this was paraphrasing at its finest.

"Then I'll just have to make you laugh for real from now on," he replied. "Don't worry, I'll be able to tell the difference."

Robin's eyes widened, but then narrowed. "What are you planning, Monkey D. Luffy?" she asked in suspicion.

At that moment, it was all Luffy could do to keep the hurt from entering his features. He quickly recovered.

"Hmm, that's a tough question," he answered. "I'm not really a planner, you see. But to give you the quick rundown, I'm planning to hand Croc over to Smokey and meet up with the rest of the crew. Then you'll become our crewmate, and we'll escape from the Marines, go on lots of adventures, piss off the World Government a bit, make it through the Grand Line, and find One Piece. I'll leave the details to you since you seem good at that."

Robin was well and surely dumbfounded. She had received many invitations to various organizations in the past, but never in such a manner. She didn't know whether to laugh or run. The man whose comrade she had wronged on so many levels was offering him a position in his crew, and he seemed _sincere_. Almost like he had no ulterior motive. She felt like there was danger, but she couldn't see it. His posture was relaxed, even _friendly, _as she stared at her, waiting for her to respond. It was as if…

As if he was indeed speaking to someone he considered a friend. There was no pity in his eyes. He wasn't acting like he expected her to flee, even if her experiences told her she should. Hell, he wasn't even expecting her to _decline_. He just kept looking at her with that childish (and yet somehow charismatic, her mind duly noted) smile of his, like she was already one of his crewmates, and he was having a casual conversation with a _friend_. Her mind screamed at her to rethink that, but that was exactly what it seemed like.

This man...he had no hostile intentions whatsoever.

All these thoughts passed in the span of 5 seconds, and Luffy waited patiently as she took another 5 to consider his offer. Robin's life was a cycle of betrayals, each of which led her to the next betrayer. Such a life was tiring, but that life had taken her far, and had ultimately led her here, to Crocodile, who would have been next in line. Would have been… if not for this strange pirate who claimed he could break the cycle. But if her experiences were right, and they always were, then he would be a part of it, no matter what his intentions were right now. So why was she so tempted to accept?

"I'll...have to think about this plan of yours," she whispered finally, taking a chance.

Luffy shrugged. "Suit yourself. Take all the time you need."

It was ridiculous. It would never work. Eventually the darkness of her existence would come to shadow him and his little crew, and she would have to either betray him or be betrayed. But would that be so bad? Even Alabasta's poneglyph was a hopeless dream now. Her life...it no longer had any purpose. She had seen with her own eyes the carefree nature of the Strawhat pirates. Maybe she could pretend she could live that life, just for a little while. Until things went downhill. Then...would she finally accept her fate? Only time would tell.

"Well, for now," Luffy said, catching her attention. "Let's go find your poneglyph."

Robin's eyes widened. "So you did know?"

Luffy smiled. "I know a lot of things."

_Of course._ _He knew who I was ever since Whiskey Peak, and he knows about Pluton as well. That means he knows what I'm looking for. _

"You don't seem like someone who would be interested in the poneglyphs," she said carefully.

"Your interests are mine," he said simply. Seeing her puzzled look, he elaborated. "Now that I've invited you to the crew, I can't just disregard your goals, can I?"

It wasn't quite that she couldn't figure him out. It was just that she could barely believe he was real.

"You know what I'm after and you're willing to help me?" she asked numbly.

"Well, I'm not exactly doing this for a history lesson...although it would be cool to know what happened."

Robin felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead as she let his words sink in. Could this really be happening? Could she still have a chance?

Luffy's face suddenly turned solemn. "But don't put all your hopes into this. You might not find what you're looking for." The words stung like ice in Robin's veins. He was right after all. Even if they could find it, she wasn't even sure that this _was_ the Rio Poneglyph. In fact, if she were to take an unbiased guess, she would say that it wasn't. But she was far from rational right now. This was her last lead, and if she didn't find what she was looking for…

Luffy hid his guilt, knowing what the outcome of this would be, as he hoisted Crocodile over one shoulder. He walked up to Robin and tossed her over the other, ignoring her gasp of protest, before taking off in the direction of the royal palace using sky walk.

* * *

A/N: See ya later, shitty gator. - Mr. Prince

Tell me what you thought of Luffy's fight with Crocodile. I tried to make it interesting despite the inevitably huge gap in strength between the two. I feel like if I make it too difficult for Luffy it will just betray the canon portrayal of his skill level, so I kept him at the level I felt he was at in Marineford.


	33. Hope in Disguise

Announcement: I thought I should mention that this is the last chapter to vote for whether Seal stays in the crew or not. Currently the polls are 19 votes for him to stay with the crew and 21 votes otherwise. If you care either way and haven't done so already, be sure to leave a review with your preference.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXIII: Hope in Disguise

When Luffy arrived back at the royal palace carrying an unconscious Crocodile and a resigned Robin over his shoulders, the Strawhats that had gathered there already, namely Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, and Seal, all had varying reactions.

Once Luffy landed, Usopp immediately started cheering. "Alright! You beat him Luffy! I never doubted you for a second!"

Chopper chose to stare at Luffy in awe. "Luffy's so strong…" he said quietly. Seal was especially enthusiastic, waving his arms in the air and somehow jumping up and down despite lack of the necessary appendages with which to do so. Although he didn't really know who Crocodile was, he'd been able to piece together that he was the leader of the ones who the crew was at conflict with, and therefore recognized this as a victory.

Nami, on the other hand, decided to focus on the fact that the one she knew as Miss All Sunday was still conscious, and was now moving of her own free will. "Luffy!" she yelled in panic. "What is Miss All Sunday doing here!?" Meanwhile, Sanji was staring at Robin with glazed over eyes as if mesmerized.

Luffy scratched his head. "Huh? What do you mean? She's here because she wants to be."

"That's not what I meant!" Nami yelled, waving her fist. "I meant why did you bring her here unrestrained!"

Luffy's face lit up in comprehension. "Oooohh ok, I get it." He then turned to King Cobra, who, having caught on to who she was, was watching Robin nervously, along with Pell and Chaka. "So anyway, king ossan, can you-"

"Don't ignore my question!" Nami shouted indignantly. If she hadn't been terrified of the warlord at his feet, she probably would have gone to bonk him over the head by now. As it was, she was hiding behind Sanji while shouting.

"If I may interrupt," Robin began, "I've already surrendered to your captain, and even if I wanted to, it's not likely that I could do much of anything with him here. So you really have nothing to fear from me," she pointed out. Nami was still staring at her suspiciously though.

"Don't worry about it Nami," Luffy said dismissively. "I trust her. She won't try anything."

"Monkey-san," Robin spoke up, addressing Luffy. All eyes turned to her, and she closed her eyes. What she was about to tell them could change everything. "Since you're helping me, I thought you should know...the princess' friends from the rebel army were being held in Rainbase." She looked down at the ground. "Though to be honest...I don't think they're still-"

"Taken care of," Luffy said. Robin looked surprised, and Luffy grinned. "I sent Zoro to help Vivi retrieve them. They'll be back soon."

Robin looked at him somewhat guiltily. "I'm not certain they'll be able to help…" she stated.

"I am," Luffy said with a tone of finality. His sheer confidence surprised her, but she supposed she shouldn't be shocked. He had been this way from the beginning.

"Luffy," Nami began uncertainly, "What does she mean when she says you're helping her?"

"Right, I was getting to that. But you guys kept interrupting me," Luffy said with a pout. He turned back to the king. "Hey king ossan, can you let Robin see the poneglyph you guys are protecting?" As soon of the words left his mouth, Cobra's eyes widened considerably, while Pell and Chaka looked at him in confusion. When the king got passed his shock, a bead of sweat rolled down his brow.

"Not to come off as rude, but how do you know about that exactly?" he asked carefully. Luffy sighed melodramatically.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" he said, looking around at everyone present. "For the last time, I know a lot of things. So? Can we see it?"

Cobra looked uncertain as he snuck a glance at Robin, which neither she nor Luffy missed. "I cannot express how grateful I am that you've saved this country, but I'm not sure that would be a good idea. That stone is kept secret for a reason. It is guarded by the Alabastian royal family so as not to fall into the wrong hands." As he spoke, Robin tensed up.

Luffy hummed in thought. Then he did something no one expected. He took his hat off and placed it over his heart while still facing the king. "King Cobra, I swear on this hat as well as my life that neither I nor Nico Robin will do anything to risk the safety of your country or the world using anything we find under your guidance." He bowed his head. "I ask you, not as the savior of this country, but as the captain of the Strawhat pirates and Vivi's comrade, to grant our request." Everyone present now stared at him with wide eyes, but none were as shocked as Robin.

The king's eyes had widened imperceptibly at the name 'Nico Robin,' but now he simply stared at Luffy with an unreadable expression as Robin waited with bated breath. After a few moments, it was his turn to surprise everyone. He bowed low to the ground, much to the slight exasperation of Pell and Chaka, and spoke.

"I acknowledge your good will, young one, and I will grant your request," he said, causing Luffy to grin widely. Meanwhile, Usopp turned to Nami.

"Do you have any idea what's going on here?" he asked quietly. Nami, being just as lost as he was, shrugged. Sanji watched the exchange with open interest. His gaze was now on Robin again, but there was no trace of lust in his eyes now. He looked as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle. Eventually, he just shrugged, figuring it was none of his business anyway.

As Cobra led them to the underground tomb, Robin turned to Luffy. "Thank you," she whispered. Luffy just grinned again and flashed her a thumbs up.

As they were about to leave, however, they were interrupted by the arrival of Smoker and Tashigi. While the latter was rather shocked once she laid eyes on Crocodile's fallen form, the former just glanced at him disinterestedly before turning back to Luffy.

"So you really did beat Crocodile," he commented.

Luffy nodded. "And you guys stopped the bomb," he acknowledged. "Do you have any seastone handcuffs by any chance?

Smoker motioned to Tashigi, who had a pair ready. As she walked towards the fallen warlord, Smoker turned back to Luffy. "I still have some questions for you, Strawhat."

Luffy shrugged. "Fine with me," he said, before turning to Robin. "Give me a minute?" She nodded in consent, and Luffy walked off, following behind Smoker. As they left, the king turned towards her.

"Your name was Nico Robin wasn't it?" he asked. Without facing him, Robin closed her eyes and nodded. The king was silent for a moment. "And am I correct in assuming that you can read the ancient language of the poneglyphs?" Robin sighed tiredly and nodded again.

"Then what I am about to do will not only disgrace the efforts of my predecessors, but put the very balance of our world at great risk. Still, I owe that man a great debt, not just as the king of the country he brought salvation to, but also as the father of the girl he aided. So seeing as I trust his judgement, I will fulfill my promise."

Robin said nothing in response.

* * *

"So? What did you want to ask me?" Luffy asked casually once the two were alone.

"Don't pretend you don't know," Smoker said impatiently.

"Why not? It's more fun for me that way," Luffy said with a straight face. This caused Smoker to growl, and Luffy smiled widely. "Lighten up, Smokey."

"First of all, how long are you going to keep calling me that?" the smoke man asked in annoyance.

"Until I'm dead," Luffy replied. "Ok, next question."

Controlling his temper, Smoker sighed and looked Luffy dead in the eye. "Why didn't you kill me, Strawhat?"

"What do you mean by that?" Luffy asked.

"Don't play dumb with me. Not once, but twice, you defeated me, and both times you let me live. I want to know why."

Luffy didn't answer for a moment as he stared at Smoker with an unreadable expression. Finally, he spoke. "How many people have you killed, Smokey?"

Smoker's eyes narrowed. "What does that have to do with it?" he asked.

"Humor me."

Smoker hesitated for a moment. "Twenty one," he answered finally. "Sometimes they had hostages and had to be dealt with quickly. Other times I had orders to kill. The rest…" he trailed off. "The rest did things that I couldn't find it in myself to forgive. They don't always sit there and wait to be arrested, Strawhat. But you should know that."

"But you haven't lost count," Luffy pointed out. "You haven't forgotten about them...even the ones that you thought deserved it."

"No, and I'll cut my stomach open the day I do," Smoker growled impatiently. "Now what's the point of this?"

"The point is that you need a legitimate reason to kill someone," Luffy said. "So what makes you think I'm any different?" There was an underlying tone of anger in his voice now. "What have I ever done that makes you think I need a reason to_ not_ kill someone?"

Smoker found he had no answer to that, and Luffy continued.

"You ask me why I let you live. My question is, why do you need my permission to live? A life isn't something I have rights to unless it's my own, and it's not something I'll take away just for the hell of it."

There was a long pause. "That's all well and good," Smoker said, his voice slightly more subdued now. "But I hope you know that the rest of the world doesn't share your sentiments. With a bounty like yours, if I had captured you before, you'd be dead by now, or worse."

Luffy shrugged. "That's your choice," he said as if it was inconsequential. "And I know what the world is like. Believe me, I know."

* * *

Robin tried to stifle her anxiety as Luffy and Smoker made their way back. It wasn't in her nature to be impatient, but this was a rare moment when she couldn't help it. Her twenty years of searching had come down to this. But despite how she felt, she knew she had no right to rush her strange benefactor. Even disregarding the fact that she was in no position to do so…

"Ready, Robin?" said man asked with a grin as he walked up to her. She suppressed her initial reaction upon once again being addressed by her first name as she nodded. She was slowly getting used to it, due to Strawhat Luffy's general aura of ambiguity, if nothing else, but it still surprised her enough that she had to keep herself from showing it.

Once Cobra led them to the courtyard, Robin wasn't surprised to see him activate an underground stairwell that no doubt led to what she was seeking. She had suspected that it would be near the palace. Anyone could find it if it was inside the building itself, so that was out. That left underground. As they descended the steps, Robin felt her heart beat faster and faster. She was finding it more difficult to steel her emotions by the second as her mantra of hope repeated itself within her head over and over. _This could be it. This could be it. This could be it. _

When she caught sight of the stone and her mind started processing the inscriptions, the first thing she felt was denial. It made sense for the poneglyph to at least mention the ancient weapon. She had long concluded that it was a topic relevant to the void century. But as she kept reading, her denial, short-lived as it was also not in her nature, melted and gave way to nervousness, then desperation, and as she read the last words, grief.

It revealed the location of the ancient weapon, Pluton. Nothing else was inscribed. She had failed. She had failed Professor Clover, and her mother, and all of Ohara. She was a disgrace the name of The Last Oharan. Tears flowed down her cheeks as her long lived shell of protective indifference came crashing down. She payed no heed to the bewilderment on King Cobra's face as he watched her shameful display. It didn't matter anymore.

She suddenly felt a hand grasp her shoulder, and she turned to face the sad eyes of Monkey D. Luffy.

"Why are you crying, Robin?" he asked gently.

It was strange, she reflected. A barrier twenty years in development, and it been shattered so easily. For so long she had hidden her anger, frustration, grief, and every other genuine emotion she felt, in order to survive. Now, here she was, crying in defeat in front of the embodiment of her unreachable dream, as her former enemy attempted to console her. Whatever other twists life had to throw at her, she didn't want to see them. She was tired. She was so sick and tired of it all. Enough. No more. This was the end of the line.

"_Robin_," Luffy said, a little more forcefully. She looked back at him.

"I don't think you understand. This was my last lead. I have nothing else to keep me going." She was silent for a moment. "Twenty years," she reflected bitterly. "I lied. I killed. I betrayed. And for what? A beacon of false hope."

"Is that what you think it is?" Luffy asked. "What you're seeing as false hope, you should really be seeing as hope in disguise. You let doubt sway you, convincing yourself that this was your last chance, when you really should be asking yourself where you need to go from here. Tell yourself that you have to work harder than you ever have before, but don't ever tell yourself that it's over. Accept that it's not going to be easy, but don't ever give up. If you keep going like that, one day, you'll find what you're seeking. That, and more than you could ever hope for."

Robin covered her eyes with her hand. "You don't get it. I can't keep going like this."

"Maybe not," Luffy agreed. "Not alone."

Robin looked up at him, and was once again taken aback by the endless conviction in his eyes. Why was he so committed to her cause?

"Excuse me," Cobra interrupted. "But is this not what you were looking for?" he asked.

"No," Luffy answered. "This one tells the location of an ancient weapon."

Cobra nodded. "That knowledge has been passed down through the Alabastian royal family, but even we don't know the location. No one in the world did, until now."

Luffy didn't really see the point in correcting him, so he said nothing.

"But then, what is she searching for?" Cobra asked, motioning to Robin.

"The Rio Poneglyph," she answered. "The one that tells the True History of the Void Century 800 years ago."

Cobra's eyes widened. "Are you saying that the threads of that ancient history can be woven together? But then…a bounty of 79 million...why was such a large price placed on your head? It was my understanding that you intended to reawaken those weapons, yet your goal is the pursuit of knowledge?"

"The World Government doesn't care what her intentions are," Luffy responded. "As long as she can read the ancient language, they view her as a threat. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you kept this meeting a secret. It would be bad if they found out she knows the location of Pluton." Cobra nodded without hesitation as he looked at Robin in a new light. Said woman was still staring at Luffy. She seemed like she was struggling to come to a decision about something. She opened her mouth momentarily, and then closed it.

"It still stands," he said knowingly. "My offer for you to join us."

She was silent for a long while. "I don't have anywhere else to go," she finally admitted. "I have no home."

He stared at her intently. "Let's change that."

* * *

The rebel army had been pacified. Upon waking up, they had all assumed that they had fallen under attack and resumed the invasion of Alubarna. But before they had arrived at the palace, they had been confronted by Kohza, who had briefly gone missing again. But that wasn't the surprising part. He was being accompanied by three people. One was a mysterious stranger with green hair and three swords. One was Princess Vivi, who had been missing for two years. The last one was Kebi, who Kohza previously claimed he had seen die. This had demanded an explanation. And did they ever get one. Kohza and Vivi had explained everything right then and there. From what had really happened with the dance powder two years ago, to how Kohza had been impersonated by a devil fruit user, and finally who was behind it all. After that, Kohza had personally ordered them to drop their weapons and surrender to the royal army. While the vast majority had done exactly that, a select few within the crowd had drawn their guns and fired at Kohza, much to the shock of everyone there. But even more shocking was the unknown swordsman that had intercepted the gunfire and incapacitated the shooters within seconds. Upon further inspection they were all seen to be adorning the same mark, which Kohza and Kebi testified was the mark of the underground criminal organization run by Crocodile. The unconscious perpetrators had been apprehended on the spot.

Now, the rebel and royal soldiers alike stared in wonder as Kohza bowed low in front of the king as a sign of renewed loyalty. What happened next came as a shock to everyone. King Cobra didn't even hesitate before offering him a place in his personal guard, claiming that it was a chance for him to redeem himself. But most saw it for what it was, a gesture of forgiveness and even trust.

But the really shocking part came next. Cobra had announced that the group that had taken down Crocodile and the rest of Baroque Works, in other words, Alabasta saviors, was a group of pirates led by Strawhat Luffy. Upon becoming the center of attention, said pirate had looked slightly uncomfortable and very annoyed, and eventually the king and princess had ushered their crew into the palace. But not before the press got wind of the situation and obtained a story that would make the headlines of Alabasta's newspaper. Needless to say, Alubarna was in a state of chaos.

And that was before the rain started falling.

* * *

A/N: Well, Alabasta is wrapping up nicely. What do you guys think of Robin's character portrayal so far? She's on of my favorite characters, so I like to think I did a good job conveying her motivations and the inner workings of her mind. She's a complex character for sure, but that's what makes in interesting.


	34. The Road to Infamy

Announcement: The final poll is 27 votes for Seal to join and 30 for him to stay with Vivi. And so, Seal will not be joining the crew, but will remain an honorary Strawhat. Sorry to all of you who wanted him to join. Your vote was appreciated nonetheless. It's good to know that people are invested enough in this story that they give suggestions. So as always, thank you everyone who reviewed!

Now, enjoy the last chapter of the Alabasta arc.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXIV: The Road to Infamy

The silence in the room was suffocating. Although it was quite cramped in the infirmary of the royal palace, one could be claustrophobic and not even give it a second thought, as whatever discomfort the lack of space induced was dwarfed by the scene in front of them. The doctors were visibly distracted from the work they were supposed to be doing as they observed the conspicuous evidence of bad blood in the palace.

Vivi didn't glare often. She was much too reserved and polite...most of the time. But there was no mistaking the scowl on her face as she refused to pull her distrustful eyes away from Robin, who had been ignoring the hostility since Vivi had first seen her in the palace.

Luffy wasn't really sure what to do in this situation. He sighed, and then he turned towards Zoro and gave him a meaningful look. It was one that Zoro had seen before, one that always meant one thing.

_Zoro, cut it, _was his captain's order. But he wasn't exactly sure what to do with the command right now. He looked at Luffy quizzically.

_Cut what?_

Luffy motioned to Vivi and Robin in response. _The tension. _

Zoro rolled his eyes. _You're an idiot, _he conveyed back. Luffy pouted childishly.

Finally, Robin sighed and turned towards Vivi, looking into her eyes unflinchingly.

"If you think glaring will allow you to rid yourself of my existence, believe me, you're not the first, and you won't be the last." Vivi didn't respond, and although the room remained silent, Luffy winced upon hearing the words, and Zoro stiffened as well. Finally, Vivi spoke, albeit briefly.

"Where's Igaram?" she asked quietly.

Robin looked like she just wanted the day to be over, but she answered the question. "I set up the bombs so that the explosions wouldn't reach him," she explained. "I left him a Log Pose, so he should make it back soon. But I can only guess when."

Vivi's eyes were narrowed, but she turned away from Robin to face Luffy. "Luffy-san, why is she still here?" she asked simply.

Many people put in the same position would have hesitated to answer. But Luffy was not one of them. "She's going to join our crew," he replied.

The crew's reactions varied. Although Seal seemed indifferent, Usopp and Chopper fell over in shock, Nami looked like she wanted to protest, Sanji looked like he wanted to celebrate, but suppressed the urge for the sake of sensitivity, and Zoro just kept a blank face through it all. Robin, who was subtly observing them all, was slightly taken aback at seeing the lack of surprise on the swordsman's face.

But the most profound reaction was Vivi's. Her eyes had widened, and her mouth was agape as she looked back and forth between Luffy and Robin, wondering if she had heard right. Finally, her objection came.

"Luffy-san, you can't be serious! How can you trust her so easily!?" she came close to shouting.

"Because she's already proven herself," he said simply. "With her power, she could have helped Crocodile kill me, but she didn't."

Robin stared at him curiously. "You really couldn't have gotten out of that hold?" she asked skeptically.

"I could have," Luffy admitted. "But I wanted to see what you'd do." Robin nodded in understanding.

"That doesn't excuse what she's done," Vivi said. "She worked for Crocodile and helped bring Alabasta to ruin! Am I just supposed to forgive and forget!?"

"You worked for Crocodile too," Luffy reminded her. "And you tried to kill us." Vivi flinched upon hearing that, and Luffy continued. "She had her reasons just like you. I wont ask you to forget. Not ever. But I will ask you to try and forgive." Vivi looked conflicted.

"Princess," Robin interrupted. "I won't try to make excuses for what I did. I knew what the results of my actions would be, and yet I threw my morality to the wind. I hardened my heart for the sake of my own ambitions and condemned the world I thought had rejected me, and in the process, I almost destroyed millions of lives, including yours. I won't ask for your forgiveness. But all I want now is a chance to start over." She paused. "I know I have no right celebrating with you. If you so wish, I will leave your home. But unless I'm kicked out, I do plan on joining the Strawhat pirates."

Vivi was silent for a long time, but finally she let out a breath. "You can stay," she said quietly, before turning to Luffy. "And I'll try to forgive. For your sake." With that said, she walked out of the room. Robin watched her go with saddened eyes. Any protests that the rest of the crew had died down as well. They figured that if Vivi could accept Luffy's decision, then they had no right to go against it.

"So...how's Bentham doing?" Usopp asked in a subdued voice. The crew welcomed the change of subject.

"He's still recuperating," Chopper replied. "He lost a lot of blood, so he could still be out of it for a while, but he'll be ok."

"Well that's good to hear," Sanji said. "Give him my thanks when he wakes up. We owe him one." Nami nodded in agreement with the statement. "So, how long do you think we have before the marines come after us? We'll be safe here in the palace so long as no one tells them anything, but once we set out to sea, they'll be ready for us. We caused quite the commotion."

"It will take some time for news of what occurred to get out," Robin commented. "But we shouldn't wait too long. The marine captain who patrols these seas is called Black Cage Hina. She's famous for her organized assault formations. It would be best for someone to secure the ship you came with. Otherwise, I give it until tomorrow before its taken."

"That's assuming they'll be leaving this to their local enforcement," Zoro pointed out. "Unless I'm giving them too much credit, by now they'll already know that we're not in the same league as the marines they have stationed in this part of the Grand Line." He was careful not to use the term "Paradise," since that was a word used by those who had seen what the New World was like. Even so, Robin still looked at him curiously.

"You speak almost as though you've been through the Grand Line before," she said. Zoro thought back on his phrasing and inwardly sighed. She was right. He _did_ make it sound that way.

"No, but I know that the marines probably won't take us lightly after this," he amended. "Crocodile was a lot stronger than any force they have stationed near Alabasta, and given our recent win streak, I wouldn't be surprised if Marine Headquarters decided to take this into their own hands."

Robin silently contemplated this for a moment. It wasn't that she didn't agree with his assessment. She did, fully. What she was wondering was how he arrived at that conclusion. How would he know the level of competency that the marines in this area had if he had just arrived here a few days ago? She herself had been in this area for a while and knew that he was right. No marines in these seas would be able to take on their Captain from what she'd seen, and she had her suspicions about the First Mate's prowess as well. In fact, even their chef would be more than a match for Captain Hina, if his victory over Mr. 1 was any indication, but the reports had said that he didn't attack women…

No, it wasn't his conclusion that she was curious about. It was the fact that he was so confident in it, despite his apparent lack of experience in the Grand Line. She suddenly felt an urge to question him about it, but circumstances led her to hold her tongue. Perhaps another time. She had questions for her new Captain too, after all.

"So then you think they'll most likely send a greater force to apprehend us," she said. She almost missed the nigh invisible relaxing of his posture once her short silence ended. Almost.

"Yea. I can't be sure, but we should be prepared for anything," he answered. She nodded.

"Well, we can worry about that later," Luffy said. "For now…" Robin looked at him in question, and he grinned widely. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

After Bentham finally woke up, the celebrations began. The royal feast went as expected. At least from the perspective of the Strawhats. The king and royal guards, however, were quite taken aback by their manner of consumption. While the king, to his credit, kept calm through it all, the royal guards had a hard time hiding their disgust. But as the feast continued, with the Strawhat captain stealing food off of every single plate (including those of the king and princess, they noted), they couldn't help but become amused by the show, and they inevitably started laughing uncontrollably at the sight of the man who had defeated Sir Crocodile and saved the entire nation acting so down to earth. He certainly wasn't one for formalities, even in a palace of all places.

While Nami, Usopp, and Sanji were raging at Luffy, Chopper was marveling at how fast the food disappeared upon being set onto the table, Bentham and Seal (who Luffy had insisted they set a plate for) were cheering Luffy on, and Vivi was putting up with it with a resigned smile, only two people were currently guarding their food semi successfully. Zoro, being one of them, didn't seem to care that much, although he'd occasionally jab Luffy's outstretched hand with his fork. Robin, being the other, thanks in part to her powers, could only watch in fascination. They were all so carefree. They knew full well what was coming once they left the palace, and yet their greatest concern at the moment was keeping their food out of their captain's reach.

Perhaps there was some credit due to them for living in the moment. Robin had never given much thought to the lifestyle, always looking ahead, thinking ahead, _plotting_ ahead. She supposed she should be put off by their complete lack of forethought, but strangely, she wasn't. In fact, she almost found it endearing. As nonsensical as it was, she actually felt a light smile forming on her face as she watched their antics, even as she sprouted hands around her plate to keep the rubber man from snatching her food. She knew their type. They were reckless, impulsive, and prone to self destructive actions that were made solely based on their emotions. She was quite the opposite. Maybe there really was some merit to the notion that opposites attract? She couldn't deny that their outlook on life had its appeal, after all. As she watched them, she could practically feel all the tension in her life start to subside.

Ironically, that was what worried her the most.

* * *

After the feast ended, the royal guards were in for another surprise. True to Robin's word, Igaram had arrived at the palace. When he asked for the status report in regard to Baroque Works, assuming that Vivi would have at least passed on the message to the king, he was shocked to hear that Crocodile had been defeated by the Strawhats. He did not hesitate to express his gratefulness, even if he was rather put off by the presence of Miss All Sunday, or rather, Nico Robin, as he was informed. After his arrival, the Strawhats were invited to the royal bathhouse.

As the king had somewhat come to expect, even bathing was made into a party by the mysterious little crew. Luffy and Usopp had raced toward the water and jumped right in, and were currently splashing each other relentlessly, Luffy being unaffected due to the water being shallow. Their shouts of _certain death, splash star _and _gomu gomu no splash gatling _could he heard throughout the palace.

As Zoro washed Chopper's back, Sanji walked over to Igaram with a devious look on his face. "So," he began casually, "where's the women's' bath?"

"As if I would tell you, you damn lecher!" he shouted. "Princess Vivi is in there!"

That was when King Cobra got up and made a show of pointing to its location. "It's right over that wall!" he yelled.

"Your majesty, you bastard!" Igaram raged.

"Oh, I like your style old man!" Usopp commented as he almost everyone else strolled towards the wall.

On the other side, Nami, Vivi, and Robin, who Nami and even Vivi were slowly warming up to, were discussing their adventures through the Grand Line so far.

"I still can't believe we got to see dinosaurs and giants in one day," Vivi said in a nostalgic tone.

"Yea, that was pretty crazy," Nami commented. "I didn't think we were going to make it off of that island alive, to be honest."

"Come to think of it, how _did_ you all make it through Little Garden?" Robin asked. "As I recall, it takes a year for the log to set there."

Nami smiled deviously. "Oh, I bet you'd like to know, wouldn't you, Miss _you won't make it to Alabasta_?" she said in a teasing tone.

Robin smiled lightly and nodded. "I would," she admitted.

As Nami reminded her of the stunt Sanji had pulled, Robin couldn't help but feel impressed. They had played Crocodile for a fool, and even she hadn't realized it. She couldn't help but feel amused by the fact that they themselves had provided the Strawhats with the means to make it here.

"We'll have to thank Sanji-kun for that one again later," Nami said with a triumphant smile. Vivi nodded her agreement.

"Well, why don't you tell him now? He's right over there, after all," Robin said in an amused tone. Nami and Vivi followed where she was pointing and stared in shock at the sight of every man except Zoro and Bentham peeping on them. Vivi was horrified, but Nami just sighed.

"You idiots," Nami muttered. "Alright, it'll be 10,000 beri each!" she shouted, before pulling off her robe, much to Vivi's continued horror and Robin's continued amusement. The reaction was instantaneous; they all fell off the wall that they had scaled in a mixture of shock and contentment. The only ones who didn't fall off were Chopper and Seal, who had went along with what everyone else was doing and now looked on in confusion, and Luffy, who burst out laughing.

"Just put it on my tab, Nami!" the pirate captain shouted before jumping down, being followed shortly by Chopper and Seal.

"Idiots," Zoro grumbled, before turning to Bentham. "Well, at least you held yourself back," he complimented. Bentham quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, didn't you know? I'm gay. I'm fine right where I am! Ahahaha!" Zoro started scooting away from him as he continued laughing.

Igaram cleared his throat as he wiped away his nosebleed. "How unsightly," he admonished.

"Wow," Luffy said. "Our Sanji may be a pervert, but at least he's not in the closet about it."

"Hypocrisy at its finest," Usopp agreed.

"Shut up you damn brats! I only went to stop you all!" Igaram yelled unconvincingly.

"And a liar too," Sanji added. "At least Usopp is kind of good at it when he wants to be."

"Thank you," King Cobra said, as blood dripped from his nose as well.

"Dirty old man", the Strawhats all said in unison.

"Not for that!" he yelled, before lowering his head to the ground. "Thank you for saving the country I love," he said.

Zoro grinned. "Is it ok for a king to be doing that?" he asked, although unlike Igaram, who voiced the same concern, he had no problem with it.

"Rank and status is worn on one's clothing," the king recited. "There is no such thing as a naked king. So as a father, and a citizen of this country, I would like to express my gratitude. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!"

Luffy grinned widely. "Anytime!"

* * *

Smoker sighed tiredly as Tashigi walked towards him with the transponder snail. He really didn't feel like having this conversation.

"Smoker-san, it's Captain Hina," the Sergeant Major reported dutifully. Smoker nodded in acknowledgement and took the transponder snail.

"It's been a long time, Hina. To what do I owe the displeasure?"

"_You're as charming as ever, Smoker. That is to say, not at all. How I sympathize with Tashigi's troubles. Hina sympathizes."_

"Did you call to make small talk?" Smoker asked lazily. "Hurry up and get to the point before our call gets intercepted by pirates." Hina was silent on the other line. They both knew that pirates intercepting marine calls was exceedingly rare, as not many had the knowledge and resources to successfully attempt it. Smoker was either paranoid or had an annoying sense of humor. Hina knew very well that both statements were true.

"_Fine. I thought I should tell you that your report on the events that occurred in Alabasta wasn't exactly received well by HQ. Let me mention that Strawhat Luffy was being considered for the position of Royal Warlord to replace Crocodile._"

Smoker grunted. That made sense. If they couldn't cover up the events, one way to save face was to make an ally out of the one who had toppled one of the Seven Warlords. Not that he thought Strawhat would have ever accepted. "Was?" he asked. "Does that mean they decided against it? If so, they'll be short one warlord."

"_They didn't have much of a choice,_" Hina said. "_The decision had practically been made to offer him the position at first, until the most recent outrage occurred."_

"Most recent outrage? What are you talking about?" Smoker asked, feeling out of the loop.

"_Oh, you haven't heard? You might want to pick up a global newspaper when you get the chance._ _I'd hate to spoil the surprise, after all." _Smoker sighed.

"Fine. Anything else I should know?"

"_Actually, yes. I've been given some shocking orders."_

"You mean you're going after the Strawhats? Godspeed," Smoker commented.

"_As much as I'm flattered by your lack of faith in me, that isn't the case. I was fully ready to go after them, but it seems my authority in this area has been overridden. As you can imagine, I'm rather disappointed. Hina disappointed."_

Smoker's brow furrowed. "They're sending someone from HQ? I've seen you fight before, and you're stronger than most rear admirals. The only reason you're still a captain is because of your supposed lack of experience. Who would they send that can do the job better?"

Hina blushed slightly. Smoker really _could_ be charming...when he wasn't trying to be. "_Well, that's the thing. They're sending the Trio of Disciples."_

Smoker's eyes widened slightly. "You mean _they're_ coming to this part of the Grand Line? But that's-"

"_A huge waste of resources?" _Hina interrupted. "_Hina was surprised too. But it seems the higher ups are convinced that we have to end this now, and so they've committed an excessive force to take them down. My orders are to back them up using my Black Cage Formation, but not to get in their way. In short, Hina has been sidelined."_

Smoker thought for a moment as he let smoke from his cigar fill his lungs. Such an excessive display of force was unprecedented to go after a rookie in the first half of the Grand Line. But that's not what he was contemplating. The irony of the situation was not lost on him. Despite all his experience suggesting that there was no way Strawhat was getting out of this alive, something in his very bones was telling him that his experience was wrong this time. Perhaps it was the lingering ache in them…

"_Smoker? Are you still there? I had a feeling that you wouldn't be alright with this, but there's nothing you can do._"

"Alright with what?" Smoker asked.

"_Well, with Strawhat getting captured. I know you were dead set on being the one to bring them in. I figured you'd be miffed that you lost your chance."_

Smoker was silent for a moment as he blew out a puff of smoke. "That's _if_ he gets captured," he finally pointed out. He could hear a slight intake of breath on the other line.

"_You're kidding. Against the students of the admirals? I know you've dealt with them before and know firsthand how strong they are, but are you seriously saying that three vice admirals isn't enough to-" _

"Like I said. Godspeed, Hina," Smoker interrupted, before hanging up. He sighed. Whether or not they realized it, the Strawhats were walking down the road to infamy. And there were only a select few places where that road could lead.

* * *

The morning after their celebrations, the Strawhats were abruptly ripped from their slumber by Igaram, who burst into the room shouting for them to wake up. Most of them groaned.

"What is it, curly old man?" Luffy asked as he rubbed his eyes and yawned. He noticed the newspaper in the man's hand and had a pretty good guess what his was about, but at the moment, he really just wanted to keep sleeping. They had walked all night through the desert without resting, after all.

"What the hell did you all do?" Igaram asked as he panted.

"You mean the defeating a Royal Warlord part, or publicly humiliating the World Government, or both?" Luffy asked sleepily. Robin chuckled at his attitude.

"No, not that! I'm talking about...oh, just look for yourself!" he yelled as he threw the newspaper onto the ground. They all looked in curiosity as Nami quite forcefully woke up Zoro, the only one still asleep. Many of them gasped as they looked at the front page. Contrary to what they thought, Crocodile's defeat and the conspiracy in Alabasta had not made the headlines, although they could see that it was on the second page.

"What did you do indeed," Robin said, visibly shocked. Nami groaned.

"How could we have forgotten about that?" she asked as she slapped her forehead.

The headline, in big bold letters, read: _Whitebeard declares Strawhat pirates his allies_.

* * *

A/N: Yea, I know you have questions. Ask away. Just don't expect to get an answer yet. Haha! Until next time, Lost out.


	35. Trouble in Paradise

Many of you had confusions about certain events from last chapter. Hopefully this one will clear them up.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXV: Trouble in Paradise

"Seriously, how the hell did we forget about that?" Nami asked again as the room erupted into a mix of joy and panic. "It's pretty damn important now that you mention it!"

"Could someone please explain how this happened?" Robin asked. "It would seem I missed something, having only now joined."

"Luffy's brother is Fire Fist Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates," Sanji explained, causing her eyes to widen. "He asked Luffy if we wanted to be their allies. Luffy agreed, and now...I guess Whitebeard must have agreed to it as well."

Robin turned to Luffy. "Is that true? Portgas D. Ace is your brother?" she asked. He nodded in response.

"Hey guys? Not to ruin the moment, but won't this make it harder for us to leave?" Usopp pointed out. A few of them stopped to consider the possibility. Being allies with one of the Yonko could make it much more difficult for them to move around.

"That depends," Zoro answered. "The thing about the Yonko is that they're powerful enough that even the World Government would rather avoid conflict with them. In theory, this could cause the marines to back off, but if they're determined enough to capture us that they'll risk challenging Whitebeard, it means they'll be that much more willing to commit their resources to taking us down. It's hard to predict which." The room was silent again as the rest of them soaked that in.

"No," Robin said suddenly. "They'll be coming for us, without a doubt." The rest of the crew looked at her in question. Luffy and Zoro seemed visibly intrigued by her input. "Haven't you noticed something strange?" she continued. "Not only has this crew toppled one of the Seven Warlords, but now it's allied with arguably the most powerful pirate fleet in the world. Normally after such an uproar, those involved would gain a large increase in bounty." Luffy and Zoro's eyes widened in comprehension as she gestured to the newspapers. "And yet none of you have."

Suddenly, Luffy and Zoro both smirked, which confused most of the crew. "Interesting," Luffy said. "Who do you think they'll send?"

"I don't know, but if they're that confident, they better not waste our time," Zoro replied. Nami groaned.

"What are you all talking about? Why didn't your bounties increase? What does this mean?" she asked impatiently.

"It means the World Government doesn't think it matters whether their bounties increase or not," Robin answered in a worried tone. "It means whoever they're sending after us, they're sure we won't be able to escape."

"I guess that means we better get going then!" Luffy concluded, a little too jovially. "We wouldn't want to prove them right, would we?"

Usopp looked at him oddly. "You seem unusually happy. I would have thought you two would be bummed about not getting new bounties."

"Not really," Zoro replied. "All it means is that we'll get bigger ones after this."

Vivi listened in trepidation as she recalled their conversation from the previous night.

_If you asked me, I'd say you should come with us. But something like that isn't my decision. It's ultimately up to you. So we'll give you until noon tomorrow to make your choice. If you decide to come, we'll celebrate, like pirates. If not, just know that we will always think of you as a Strawhat. _

She bit her lip. It was a tough decision. She loved being the princess of Alabasta, but she loved being a Strawhat pirate too. Nevertheless, she knew where she needed to be.

Luffy noticed her uneasiness. "Don't be nervous, Vivi. Just go where you feel you belong. Like I said, we won't think any less of you either way. You'll always be our comrade."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Luffy-san. I'd love to come with you and have more adventures. I really would. But I can't...because I love my country."

Luffy smiled in melancholy. He didn't really expect it to be any different this time, but it was still sad to let her go. "I understand," he said. "Then all the best of luck, Vivi."

Vivi smiled back, but there were tears in her eyes. They all understood. She was torn between two lives that she loved equally. But in the end, her country simply had a more crucial need for her than the Strawhat Pirates did. Seal stared blanky at her as she wiped her tears away. After a moment, he looked up at Luffy.

"Kuoo!" he squealed, catching the Strawhat captain's attention.

"Oh, so you want to stay with her?" he asked. The kung fu dugong nodded. Vivi seemed shocked. "I see. Ok then," Luffy said, though he seemed even sadder now. "Make sure you two take care of each other, alright?"

"Kuoo!" Seal punched the air repeatedly in a manner that suggested that anyone who tried to hurt Vivi was in for some pain. Vivi smiled and bent down to face him.

"So I guess we're both honorary Strawhats then?" she said. He nodded again in agreement, and then did something that surprised everyone. He held up the arm that still had the mark of the crew's comradery on it. He triggered an instant reaction; the rest of the crew immediately did the same. Vivi smiled widely as she held out her own arm, and Carue mimicked her.

Off to the side, Robin and Bentham, neither of which had the mark, were content to just watch. Bentham was near tears. "That...was beautiful. Such bonds of friendship are rare to see!" he yelled.

"So what about you?" Luffy asked. "Did you want to join the crew?" Bentham's jaw dropped in shock.

"So quick to offer me a place in your family! Strawhat, I'm touched! But I'm afraid I must decline; you see, I have my own crew, and I cannot simply abandon them!"

Luffy pouted. "Oh. Well there's nothing that can be done then. Oh well."

Robin, who hadn't spoken for a while, still seemed disconcerted about something, until Vivi walked up to her. "Robin, I guess you had your reasons for what you did. And I don't want things between us to end on a bad note. We're both Strawhats after all. So...can we call it water under the bridge?"

Robin seemed surprised, but she smiled. "I'd like that," she said. The two shook hands, and Robin looked like a load had been lifted off of her shoulders after that.

Zoro raised an eyebrow as he turned to Bentham. "Hey, if you have a crew, shouldn't you be getting in contact with them?" he asked. "The marines will be after you too since you were a member of Baroque Works. You can't stay here for long."

Bentham's eyes widened. "Crap, you're right! Stop joking aroouuund! Where's the transponder snail!?"

* * *

Hina leaned back in her chair as she gazed upon the ship of the Strawhat pirates, which was docked at the bay and now swarming with marines under her command. The ship was anchored, and was flanked by marine vessels on all sides. The Disciple Trio were due to arrive soon, and when they did, the pirates' chances of escaping would be negligible at best. In addition, she had her Black Cage Formation on standby, so even if they somehow got passed the blockade at the shore, they would have to face another one at sea. Everything was going smoothly. So then why did Smoker's warning keep repeating itself in her mind?

"Captain Hina!" the soldier on watch yelled. "Were we expecting Sir Dracule Mihawk too?"

Hina turned toward the subordinate in question with a puzzled expression. "Of course not! We haven't been able to recruit his help in ages. He just does what he feels like!"

"Then what the hell is that!?" Hina turned to where he was pointing, and her eyes immediately widened. For a brief fraction of a second, she actually found herself wondering if Hawkeye Mihawk was here as she watched a colossal blade of wind, easily towering over their marine ships, head towards the blockade they had formed on the shore. Even from this distance it looked intimidating.

Marine soldiers scrambled to jump out of the way as the attack tore through two ships as if they were wet tissue paper. The marine vessels stood no chance, and the marines began jumping overboard as they sank. Hina looked on in shock. It was clear that they were under attack, but who could have produced a slash of that magnitude?

The transponder snail suddenly started ringing, and Hina immediately answered it. "Sergeant, report!"

"Captain, Demon Wind Zoro is attacking us!" came the panicked voice from the other line.

It took Hina a moment to process that statement. _Roronoa Zoro?_ Filing away the unlikelihood of a rookie swordsman being able to do something like that for now, she gave her order.

"Sergeant, open fire on the Strawhats' ship!" But there was no answer from her underling other than a scream before the line went dead. She watched as another marine vessel was cleaved in two and sank into the water. She squinted as she looked towards the shore again. She grabbed a pair of binoculars and was able to make out a man with a straw hat, surrounded by several other individuals who were boarding the goat-like pirate ship in the chaos.

The Strawhat Pirates had arrived.

* * *

Usopp cringed as he heard the screams of pain and fear from the nearby ships. "Wow, he's not holding back is he?"

"Oh, he is," Luffy said. "Just not as much as usual. I think it's because he hasn't seen as much action lately. He's been getting restless."

"Raise anchor and unfurl the sails!" Nami ordered. "We have to bypass the next blockade!" But as the Going Merry pulled away from the bay, the marine ships were already firing on them. Curiously, they weren't firing cannonballs, but large black spears, which meant that Sanji would have trouble kicking them away.

They needn't have worried, however. Zoro jumped back onto the ship and started deflecting the spears with blasts of wind from his swords. Between that and Luffy punching and kicking them away, none of them were reaching the Going Merry.

Mounting their defense grew more difficult, however, as the eight marine ships began surrounding them. Zoro was soon producing whirlwinds to blow multiple spears off course while Luffy used gatlings to knock them away. Meanwhile, Usopp readied the cannon, and was able to open a hole in the marine's formation by hitting one of the ships dead center, causing it to crash into the other ship subsequently cause them both to sink.

"Alright Usopp!" Luffy yelled as the shooter stared in shock at his results. "That's why you're our sniper!"

Usopp quickly recovered and puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course! This was nothing. That's what happens when you mess with the great Captain-"

"Set a course for the opening you idiots!" Nami interrupted. The marines were scrambling to account for the change in their formation when the sound of more cannonfire was heard in the distance. Zoro acted fast and cut the cannonball from a distance as it flew towards the Going Merry. There was a large explosion from above the ship, which was rocked back and forth by the shockwave.

Usopp started panicking. "Bad news guys, they brought a warship too! It's coming in fast!" The rest of the Strawhats saw that he was right. The marine ships that were keeping them on their toes before were now making way for another, which easily dwarfed them all in size.

Zoro's eyes narrowed. "It looks like their backup has arrived."

He shared a quick glance with Luffy, who was no doubt sensing the same thing he was, and they both nodded. Luffy turned towards the rest of the crew. "Guys, don't try to fight them. You're not strong enough yet. That means you too, Sanji."

"Who are they?" the chef asked in bewilderment.

"Vice admirals," Robin answered as she uncrossed her arms and opened her eyes. "Three of them," she added. "Doberman, Momonga, and Onigumo. They're said to be the disciples of the three marine admirals themselves." She was visibly worried.

Usopp started freaking out. "Are you kidding me!? What are they doing here then!? Don't they have bigger fish to fry!?"

Nami was distressed as well. "Luffy! We can't fight those guys! We should just focus on getting away," she reasoned.

"They wouldn't just let us do that," Zoro said. "Take a look." The Strawhats looked and saw that the three marines in question were actually approaching them through the air.

"They're flying!" Chopper exclaimed. "Just like Luffy! They can do that too?"

Robin looked at Luffy curiously. "Captain-san, where exactly did you learn that technique?" she asked.

"Uh, I learned by watching someone do it," Luffy said. Robin looked like she wanted to ask something else, but she simply nodded. Luffy, for his part, had conveniently neglected to mention that the person he'd learned from watching was standing right next to them.

When the three vice admirals arrived within the vicinity of the Going Merry, they immediately began raining long ranged sword slashes and rankyaku blades down on the ship. Zoro immediately drew his three swords and began deflecting them, while Luffy launched off of the deck and went on the offensive.

The other Strawhats could do nothing but watch, and even that was difficult given that their movements were a blur. They could make out that Luffy's arms and legs had blackened as he dished out numerous assaults on the three high ranking marines. From the deck, Zoro supported him with a hail of fast and deadly long ranged slashes. Although the two were outnumbered, it seemed as though they actually had the advantage.

But with the two of them preoccupied with the three vice admirals, Captain Hina was now free to continue her assault, and one of the black spears finally got passed Sanji, embedding itself into the Going Merry's hull. Luffy took notice.

"Zoro, can you hold them off?" he yelled.

"Of course I can, go!" he swordsman shouted back. Luffy landed back on deck, noting that Sanji was still tied up deflecting the spears.

"Nami, try to navigate us out of their formation. Usopp, keep firing on those ships, that should make it easier for her. Chopper, get below deck and patch that hole. Robin, you get the cage lady. Break!" He then jumped off the ship again, heading towards the marine blockade.

"You won't get away, Strawhat!" Momonga shouted, following after the pirate captain. Zoro let him go, knowing that one of them wouldn't be a problem for Luffy. Once the Strawhat captain got in range, he let loose a blast of Conqueror's haki, targeting the ships that were blockading them, and immediately felt hundreds of weaker auras lose consciousness. Before he could concentrate enough to make it stronger, however, his observation haki alerted him to an attack. He quickly spun around and used armaments hardening on his arm, blocking a sword slash from Momonga. "So it's true," the vice admiral said. "You can use all three forms of haki. And here I thought those were just rumors. This is utterly ridiculous."

Luffy grinned. "Did you come here thinking this would be easy?" he asked.

As the two fought their midair battle, the rest of the Strawhats were carrying out their orders. Chopper was successfully attending to the damage below deck, which wasn't particularly strenuous considering there was only one hole, and the unconscious marines had stopped firing on them. Above deck, Usopp had sunk two more marine ships now that he had time to focus, which left a notable opening in their formation for Nami to work with.

One of the marine ships were now pulling up beside the Going Merry. The Strawhats could make out Captain Hina and two others that were slightly familiar. Hina immediately jumped across to the Going Merry, startling them, and was engaged by Robin. Hands sprouted all over her body in an attempt to subdue her. They were immobilized by her caging ability only to disappear, before more sprouted and attempted to clutch the marine captain. Hina attempted to get close, but Robin kept her at bay using more hands that sprouted from the ground.

"Demon Spawn, Nico Robin," Hina acknowledged with widened eyes. "You've joined the Strawhat pirates?"

"It would appear so," Robin replied with a genuine smile.

"I've been waiting for this, you damn cook!" Fullbody shouted as he jumped over to the Going Merry as well. "Now I'll take my revenge! I've gotten stronger since last time."

"Really? So you've been promoted?" Usopp asked with his head tilted to the side. Fullbody's face darkened, indicating that the sniper had hit a sore spot, and he lunged at Usopp, who shrieked and readied his slingshot. Before either of them could act, however, Sanji casually kicked Fullbody in the face, sending him flying back over to the marine ship, where he landed in a bloody, unconscious heap...again.

"Who was that guy?" the chef asked in annoyance. "He was acting like he knew me…"

"You bastards! How dare you do that to my partner!" Jango shouted as he pulled out his hypnotic ring. "Take this! When I say 1, 2, Jango, you will all fall asleep! 1…"

"Certain death, explosive star!" Usopp's projectile hit him dead on and sent him overboard. He landed in the ocean with a loud splash. "That was from Kaya, dickhead!"

Meanwhile, Hina was having trouble keeping up with her opponent. The arms that were caught by her cage ability immediately disappeared only for new ones to appear. Robin watched her every move with a well trained, scrutinizing eye. Hina was under even more pressure as she had to avoid the limbs that grew out of the ship's deck as well. She was a close quarters combatant that simply couldn't get close. If anything, she was being pushed back.

Finally, she slipped up. In her haste to avoid the many hands in front of her, she didn't notice the ones that had sprouted up behind her, and leapt backwards into them. Hands wrapped around her legs and were quickly caged, but didn't disappear this time. More hands grabbed her arms and shoulders, pulling her backwards towards the wall. She caged the hands that were touching her, but could do nothing to stop the ones that piled on top of those, and she was pinned to the wall by a myriad of disembodied limbs. Once she was immobilized, two of the hands went for her neck and started choking her. She struggled in vain to escape from the numerous arms holding her arms and legs in place as she was deprived of oxygen. She sent a glare of defiance towards the heavily wanted woman before her. "Hina...has failed…" she groaned before her vision grew blurry and she blacked out.

"That was...scary…" Usopp commented, as Robin released the marine captain and carried her back to her own ship. Nami nodded in agreement. They both made mental notes not to get on their new crewmate's bad side.

"_3 sword style...1080 Pound Cannon!_" They turned to see Zoro still facing off against Doberman and Onigumo, who both dodged the flying slash in midair. Onigumo landed in front of him, wielding eight swords at once through the use of a zoan devil fruit. Doberman landed behind him.

"So you're a haki user as well, Roronoa," Onigumo said.

"What a troublesome crew," Doberman commented. "We will end you all right here, in the name of Absolute Justice!" They both sent rankyaku attacks at him, which he deflected with two swords. They then used soru to get close and attempt to cut him in half, but he blocked their swords as well and pushed them both back with whirlwind.

"As much as I've enjoyed this, I have to end it quickly," Zoro said. "Sorry, but I won't hold back anymore."

"Don't get cocky, pirate!" Doberman shouted as he sent off another flying slash in Zoro's direction. Zoro barely payed it any mind as he deflected it to the side.

Suddenly, Zoro's arms, legs, and head multiplied. The rest of the crew watched in confusion, but Sanji's eyes widened as he recognized the move from when the swordsman had fought Mihawk. Zoro leapt toward Onigumo, whose eight swords blackened as he met the attack halfway.

"_8 sword style, Spider Demon Blade_!"

"_9 sword style, Asura_!" The two swordsman passed each other by, and the crew watched with bated breath. "One Mist Silver!" Zoro whispered, before the extra limbs around him vanished. A large wound opened across Onigumo's side, spraying blood all over the ship's deck. The vice admiral collapsed. Doberman stared in shock at the scene before Zoro turned to him, three obsidian swords still drawn.

"_3 sword style, secret technique_," he said as he leapt towards Doberman next. The vice admiral's sword blackened along with his entire body in an attempt to ward off the attack.

The vice admiral's sword was cut into four separate pieces as they clashed. His eyes widened in shock, but he used a tekkai as a last measure of defense.

"_Three Thousand Worlds_!" Zoro shouted, as three long gashes appeared along the marine's abdomen. Doberman coughed up a wad of blood.

"Defeated...by mere...rookies…Akainu-senpai...I'm sorry…" was the last thing he said before he collapsed.

Once he was sure they were both down, Zoro looked back to Luffy, and sighed upon seeing that his captain was taking his time. Momonga was barraging him with sword slashes, numerous rankyaku, and even a shigan here and there, but Luffy was comfortably dodging it all, even in midair. "Giving up yet?" the rubber man asked. "You won't beat us."

"It isn't over yet, Strawhat," the swordsman growled.

"Actually, it is," Luffy said, pointing down below. Momonga looked back to the Going Merry, and his eyes widened upon seeing that his two comrades had been defeated. Preoccupied by his own fight, he hadn't noticed their auras dim. He gritted his teeth. He didn't like those two, but they were still fellow marines, and they had still fought and bled together. This battle really _was_ over.

He flew back to the ship, Luffy following behind him, and landed in between Zoro and the two other marines. He quickly picked up his two associates and flung them over his shoulders before leaping off of the deck again, back in the direction of the warship. Luffy watched him in interest as he left.

"Well, at least _that_ one knows when to retreat," he commented. Zoro shrugged.

"Whatever, let's get out of here."

The Going Merry finally made its way down the Sandora river unopposed, sailing out to its next adventure.

* * *

_A day later, in Foosha village of the Goa Kingdom_

The village was in an uproar. The entire town was in celebration of a certain pirate's rise to fame, much to the annoyance of Major Whoop Slap, who admonished them for their support of a criminal. Said mayor plopped himself down on a stool in Makino's bar in frustration. "Those idiots," he muttered.

"They're just excited for Luffy," Makino replied.

"What's so great about a pirate originating from our town?" Whoop Slap asked. "That Luffy's gone and made a criminal out of himself."

"But that's his dream," Makino pointed out with a gentle smile.

Whoop Slap sighed as he stared at the wanted poster on the wall. "His dream, or his fate?"

* * *

_In a certain dojo in East Blue_

A tall sword master with dark hair and glasses rubbed his head in exasperation as his students crowded around him.

"Hey Koshiro-sensei! Is it really true that Roronoa Zoro trained in this dojo?" one asked.

"Yes, he did," Koshiro replied. I forbid you to look up to him though."

"Huh!? Why!?"

Koshiro looked towards Kuina's grave in melancholy. _It looks like you're still chasing that dream of yours, Zoro. I may question your methods, but so long as you always treasure your kendo, I will fully support you._

* * *

_In Shells town_

In a certain bar not far from Marine Branch 153, little girl stared up at two bounty posters in excitement. "Mom, it's really them! Can you believe it?"

"Yes, it seems they've become quite famous," Ririka replied with an exasperated smile. As much as she was conflicted about her daughter's admiration of wanted pirates, that swordsman had really helped them, and they would always owe him for that.

"But Mom," Rika continued as she stared at a third flyer curiously. "Whose this other guy that was in the newspaper with them?"

* * *

_In Syrup village on the Gecko Islands_

The village's local trio of infamous liars rushed toward a mansion on top of a hill. "Kaya!" they shouted in unison as they ran up to the door. The blond haired girl, used to their daily visits by now, opened the door welcomingly.

"Hello you three. How are you doing today?"

"Kaya! Look at this!" they shouted, each thrusting a wanted poster in her face.

"Oh, I see. So those two have gained new bounties. And...who is this gentleman?"

* * *

_In the sea restaurant, Baratie_

"Those fools are giving me a headache," Owner Zeff complained. "What are they so excited about anyway?"

"Oh, you mean you haven't seen yet?" Patty asked in disbelief. Come with me. You're going to love this!"

* * *

_In Cocoyashi village_

"Gen-san!" Nojiko shouted as she ran up to the village leader. "Have you heard the news yet?"

"Yea, I have. That kid has really done it this time. All I can say is, he better keep his promise."

"I'm sure he will," Nojiko said, grinning. "It's not his style to go back on his word. I could tell!"

* * *

_In a castle atop the Drum Rockies_

"Those brats are really in for it now," Dr. Kureha commented as she looked down at the newspaper.

"What could they have even done to earn bounties that high?" Dalton asked in wonder.

"They must have rattled the government's cage quite a bit," Kureha replied. She was silent for a moment. "Hey Dalton, have you ever heard of the Will of D?" she asked.

The village chief's brow furrowed. "Will of D? I'm not familiar with the term," he admitted.

"It was something said to have been possessed by Gol D. Roger himself."

"Gol D? You mean Gold Roger?"

"Is that what they're calling him now?" Kureha cackled before taking a swig of her sake. "Well, mark my words. That kid will become a legend. There's something about him that I just couldn't ignore when he made a ruckus here. Still, if he doesn't keep his promise, I'm going to hunt him down and gut him!"

* * *

_In the holy land, Mariejois _

"Gaaaarp! Get in here!" Sengoku shouted in fury. It wasn't long before the legendary vice admiral came crashing through the door, not bothering himself to open it.

"What is it Sengoku? Are you hungry? I brought rice crackers!"

"Garp, that blasted grandson of yours is the bane of my existence!" Sengoku shouted.

"Ah, you too? I know the feeling! Still, he's pretty badass isn't he? I guess it should be expected. I raised him after all! Hahaha!"

"Stop it! Stop being proud this instant!" Sengoku yelled. "That brat's a menace! Not only did he defeat one of our warlords, which by the way, we've _failed_ to cover up, thanks to Alabasta's damn press getting wind of it before us...no, that wasn't enough for him, he had go and ally himself with the God fucking Whitebeard pirates! Now we can't even pursue him without risking war with a Yonko!"

"Ahahahaha! What did I say? Badass!" Garp said, still laughing.

"Dammit Garp! Take this seriously!" Sengoku shouted. "As if all that wasn't enough, he even defeated the Disciple Trio. _Three vice admirals! _What rookie pirate in the first half of the Grand Line can defeat vice admirals!? They've even reported that he was using all haki and rokushiki fluidly! I'm beginning to think you had a hand in this, Garp!"

"Who me? I barely trained him at all! You kept stationing me in the New World, so I didn't have time," Garp defended with a huff.

"Well, someone had to have taught him! Rookie pirates don't just master all three forms of haki before they even arrive in the Grand Line! It defies all logic!"

"Ahahaha! That's my grandson!"

"Shut up Garp!" But Garp just kept laughing merrily while chewing on his rice crackers.

"Gimme those!" Sengoku shouted, before snatching the rice crackers away.

"Hey, you can't hog them all!" Garp protested. Sengoku turned away and started chugging the whole bag, much to Garp's horror. As they fought over the bag, they knocked the wanted posters on Sengoku's desk to the floor.

* * *

On a raft in the middle of the most dangerous sea in the world, a bearded man with piercing eyes stared down at three wanted posters with a chilling smirk. They read:

_Black Leg Sanji - 55 million berry_

_Demon Wind Zoro - 95 million berry_

_Strawhat Luffy - 175 million berry_

* * *

A/N: So yea! The Disciple Trio are canon characters. I just decide to give them a group epithet that they didn't have in canon, as well as a relationship to the admirals that was never mentioned but that I think fits quite well. In case you were wondering, for the sake of this story, Momonga was mentored by Aokiji, Onigumo was mentored by Kizaru, and Doberman was mentored by Akainu.

And if you're wondering why Whitebeard would declare the Strawhats his allies to the world and make them bigger targets, then I suggest you go back and read chapter 26 very carefully. Until next time.


	36. The Mind's Eye and the World's Voice

Now that the Baroque Works saga is over, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at the increase in attention this story has been getting. I've actually been keeping track to an extent and I'm pretty sure my view count has doubled in the past couple months. For anyone that cares to know, I've had over 180,000 views now. Taking into account that I started doing this in February, that's quite the growth curve. My reviews are increasing exponentially as well. Just to give you an idea, of the 35 chapters I've published before this one, the last 3 make up over 20% of my review count so far.

As much as I enjoy gloating, my primary purpose in saying this is to express my gratitude. Just like all stories, this fanfiction began as a spur of the moment piece of inspiration that had little recognition but boundless potential. A story may not exist without the writer, but without the reader it has far less purpose. You all have brought this work of mine up to the top 20 most followed One Piece fics on this site. And to me that's a big fucking deal.

So thank you and enjoy the beginning of yet another saga of Second Wind!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXVI: The Mind's Eye and the World's Voice

The Going Merry sailed smoothly through the Grand Line in a rare moment of serenity. It had been over a day since the Strawhats had escaped the marine blockade, and they were still adapting to the relatively relaxing endeavor of sailing without incident. Looking back, their time since coming to the Grand Line had been wrought with danger, and while their adventure happy Captain and adrenaline junky First Mate had no problems with it, the rest of them were enjoying the sudden lack of tension.

"Hey Usopp!" Luffy shouted excitedly. The sniper turned from where he was working on his weapon designs to face said captain, and saw with much mirth that he had hands growing out of his head, which closely resembled horns. "Look, I'm a tanuki!"

Chopper, who was watching the scene, immediately took offense. "You mean a reindeer! Tanuki don't have antlers!" Luffy and Usopp fell over laughing at Chopper's expense, which only made the doctor angrier.

Luffy controlled his laughter and addressed Chopper's objection. "Of course they do Chopper. I mean, why else would you have antlers?" he asked.

Chopper easily rose to the bait. "Because I'm a reindeer!" he shouted indignantly. This time, Luffy looked at him like he was in idiot.

"Are you stupid Chopper? Reindeers don't walk on two legs," Luffy replied. Chopper's jaw dropped upon hearing the logical fallacy.

"NEITHER DO TANUKI!" he shouted, too gullible to realize that Luffy was doing this intentionally. Usopp, who had just gotten up, fell over laughing again, while Robin let out a laugh of her own as she watched in amusement.

Luffy paused to consider Chopper's argument. "Hmm, you're right," he acknowledged. "I guess you must be half human half tanuki then."

"I'M HALF REINDEER!" Chopper yelled, waving his arms up and down as if he was throwing a tantrum.

Luffy's eyes lit up in comprehension. "Oooohh! So you're half reindeer half tanuki half hu-" Luffy was cut off from his calculated taunting as a hand bloomed out of his shoulder and covered his mouth. Luffy turned to Robin and pouted. She smiled innocently.

"Sorry Captain-san. But Longnose-kun is going to pass out from lack of oxygen soon," she said as the hand disappeared.

Luffy turned to Usopp, who was gasping for air, and smiled sheepishly. It was then that Sanji announced that he had snacks ready. Usopp rushed toward the kitchen, Chopper following behind him. Luffy, surprisingly, didn't go. He stared toward the kitchen longingly but instead turned to Robin, who looked back at him curiously.

"There's something you've wanted to ask me since we left Alabasta," he said, not beating around the bush. Robin blinked, surprised by both his directness and his observational skills. She liked to think she was good at concealing things like that from the attention of others. It was one of the skills she had developed over the years. And yet in the brief encounters she had had with her new captain so far, he had always managed to read her somehow. If any of her previous superiors had ever shown that capability, it would have been a cause for concern. Crocodile had been good, but not this good. She would have been dead long ago if the warlord could tell what she was thinking this easily. And yet, for some reason it didn't really bother her that Luffy could see more than what she generally allowed people to see.

The scary part was that she knew it should.

"There is," she responded. "A few things, actually."

Luffy smiled good-naturedly. "Well, you can ask whenever you feel like it. We don't care that much about formalities on this ship."

Robin nodded slowly. She had expected as much, but old habits died hard. "Captain-san, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I was wondering why you invited me to your crew," she said carefully.

"Are you happy here?" was Luffy's immediate response. Robin didn't even hesitate before nodding.

"I haven't been with you all long, but yes. Happier than I've been in a long time," she answered.

"Well that's why," Luffy said simply. As much as Robin's heart wanted to accept the answer, her brain urged her to probe for more information.

"But why would you go to such a length for me?" she asked insistently. Luffy smiled at her again.

"Robin, you're always trying to see passed the outer layer of everything. I'll admit that's an important thing to do, but in this case you're looking for hidden meaning that isn't there. I know that you're a good person who was dealt a bad hand, and that it drove you to do things you regret. I wanted to make you happy for a change. That's really all there is to it."

Robin stared at him wide-eyed. As far as she could tell, he wasn't deceiving her. He meant every word. The idea of someone striving to make her happy without any ulterior motive was so utterly foreign to her that she wasn't sure what to do with it.

"Thank you, Luffy," she said quietly. She had broken out of her formal habits and addressed him by his first name, immediately causing his grin to widen.

"So you said you wanted to ask something else right?"

Robin nodded, quickly gathering her wits. "I noticed that you seemed to know beforehand what the poneglyph in Alubarna would reveal. Is there a reason for that?"

Luffy paused for a moment, thinking about how to something like that to Robin. He wasn't going to lie, but he wasn't going to tell her the full truth either. Not yet.

"Captain-san?" she asked after he was silent for a long moment. He rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's just that that's a bit complicated, and I'm not that good at explaining things," he said. "So I'll just give you an explanation that someone once gave me. The first thing you should know is that everything in the world gives off a certain evidence of its presence, one that transcends the perception of the 5 senses we humans use to interact with our surroundings." At this point Robin could tell that he was indeed repeating this explanation from another source, seeing as he didn't normally speak like this. Nevertheless, she eagerly listened, despite wondering where this was going.

"Some people refer to this as a voice. Others call it a feeling. In reality it's neither of those, but people have their own way of interpreting what they perceive." Robin nodded in agreement, and Luffy continued. "For our purposes, let's just say that every object in the world gives off an aura. In living beings, this aura is far more noticeable than in inanimate objects. In living beings that can think and feel, the aura becomes that much stronger. Beyond that, the aura gets even stronger depending on the strength of one's mind. In humans and other animals, the aura is strong enough that people can develop the ability to pick up on it by unlocking a sort of sixth sense. Most people call that sixth sense observation haki."

"Observation haki?" Robin repeated. She was visibly intrigued by this explanation, and decided to forget about her original question until they got to it.

Luffy nodded. "Observation haki is an ability that any sentient being can learn. It may be worth mentioning that Zoro and I can both use this ability. The best observation haki users can sense the presence of any living being if they focus hard enough. But sensing the presence of an inanimate object is an ability that's unreachable to most. Still, there are a select few who are born with an advanced perception and can do it. There's a special name for that ability."

"And that is?" Robin asked.

"The power to hear the voice of all things."

Robin went through the explanation again in her head. It all seemed a bit farfetched. She wasn't one to think she had seen everything the world had to offer, however, and she saw no reason for the captain to lie about such a thing. "Do you know anyone who has that ability?" she asked suddenly.

Luffy grinned. "Well, for starters, me," he replied. Robin simply stared at him, and Luffy finally addressed her question.

"Poneglyphs, for some reason, have a really strong presence among inanimate objects. But it's more than that. To me, it almost feels like a human's aura was somehow ingrained in that stone, but it's diminished to the point where normal observation haki users can't sense it. To a certain extent, I was able to pick up on what it was conveying before I even entered the tomb."

Robin's eyes widened when she heard this. If what he was saying was in any way accurate, the implications were awe inspiring. Could the ones who left the messages of the poneglyphs have left more than one form of link to the Void Century, one that was untraceable to the vast majority of the world? She would have to think more about this.

"Well, if that's all, I'm going to go eat some of those snacks!" Luffy said excitedly as he raced towards the kitchen, leaving Robin to her thoughts.

* * *

After the Strawhats ate lunch, Luffy announced that it was time to get back to their haki training, a statement that was met with resigned acceptance to all but Zoro and Robin, the latter of whom raised an eyebrow. "Haki training?" she asked.

"Oh right, new crew member," Luffy acknowledged, before turning to Zoro. "Alright, who has to explain this time?" he asked. Zoro responded by holding out his hand in a fist. Luffy looked amused. "Really?" he asked. Zoro just looked at him expectantly, and Luffy shrugged. The two played rocks paper scissors. Zoro chose rock and Luffy chose paper. Zoro looked down at his hand, wondering what he'd done wrong this time, before shrugging and turning to Robin. Nami's eye twitched.

"All right. There are three types of haki. Conqueror's, armaments, and observation," Zoro began.

"I've already explained observation to her," Luffy chimed in. Zoro hummed.

"Alright then, one thing to know is that not many people can use Conqueror's haki. In fact, only about 1 in a million can. It allows you to overpower the wills of weaker individuals, bending them to your will or even knocking them out. Someone with mastery of this technique can crush armies without lifting a finger.

Robin's eyes widened in comprehension. "The rebel army in Alubarna," she breathed.

Zoro nodded. "Luffy has mastered Conqueror's haki," he said. Robin was dumbstruck. The captain possessed two rare abilities of that nature? What star was he born under?

"But you guys can't use that from what we can tell," Zoro continued, "So the last one to explain is armaments haki, which is basically a weaponized manifestation of your willpower. It's allows you to coat yourself or an object in an invisible suit of armor that strengthens both attack and defense. It also lets you bypass some devil fruit defenses," he recited from memory.

"Devil fruit defenses?" Robin asked. Zoro decided to elaborate.

"Crocodile was a logia. His devil fruit let him turn into sand. If you were able to use armaments haki, you would be able to bypass his intangibility and attack him anyway," Zoro explained.

"So that's how you were able to hit him," Robin said to Luffy. "I always wondered if there was a way to counteract those abilities. I guess this would be it."

"That's not all it can do," Luffy said. "Robin, try using your power on Zoro." Robin looked stunned by the suggestion, but Luffy just grinned. "Go ahead, don't hold back. Pretend you're trying to put him out of commission." Robin looked hesitant but complied. She crossed her arms and hands grew out of Zoro's body in an attempt to clutch him. Immediately the sprouted hands were blackened to obsidian, and much to Robin's shock, she couldn't move them. Upon further inspection she realized that her real arms were also blackened and completely immobilized.

"What is this?" she asked.

"That's armaments hardening," Zoro said. "It's an advanced form of armaments haki that can be applied to solid objects. When your arms came in contact with me I used it on them. Since my armaments haki is a physical manifestation of my will, it overrode your control of your limbs," he explained. "Against someone who doesn't know any armaments haki, doing that is fairly simple. If you could use it to an extent, it would be harder, and if your armaments haki was equal to or stronger than mine, I wouldn't be able to do it at all."

"This seems like an extremely useful ability," Robin commented.

"All three types are," Zoro replied. "But most people have a natural disposition towards one of the types. Luffy's is Conqueror's, and mine is armaments. If I had to guess, I'd say yours is observation."

"How would you know that?" Robin asked.

"Your aura, your personality, and your fighting style are all big indicators," Zoro responded. Robin nodded in acceptance. After that, Zoro explained the many uses of observation haki. When he mentioned that sensing emotions was one of them, Robin's eyes widened slightly. Outwardly she showed no other signs of it, but inwardly she just realized why Luffy could read her so easily.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent training in armaments and observation haki. Robin was able to pick up on the fact that they had been doing this for a while but were having little to no progress. Despite this, Robin found that she wanted to participate. It wasn't so much that she thought she could learn the techniques or even had a deep desire to. It had more to do with her desire to take part in the endeavors of the Strawhat crew.

It was starting to get dark, and most of the Strawhats were calling it a day. Sanji, on the other hand, had wanted to keep going, determined to make at least some headway. The chef was currently blindfolded and was working on awakening his observation haki. This essentially involved Zoro standing behind him and hitting him over the head with a stick. Robin could tell that he was getting more frustrated after every hit that he failed to dodge. He had been at this for long enough that he had actually figured out a pattern in Zoro's consecutive swings and had started dodging based on that, but the swordsman had quickly caught on to what he was doing and switched up his pattern.

A loud thwack signified that Sanji had yet again failed to predict one of Zoro's random swings. Luffy was trying hard not to laugh as Sanji rubbed his head in barely withheld frustration.

"Hey cook. You need to dodge or else you'll get hit by the stick," Zoro said unnecessarily. Despite not being able to see him, Sanji turned to him in outrage.

"No shit, dick with a stick!" he shouted, causing Luffy to burst out laughing and Zoro to hit him again for good measure. Sanji was grumbling something about shitty swordsmen and their sticks when Zoro swung again.

Only this time Sanji moved his head out of the way. Luffy stopped laughing and looked at Sanji with widened eyes while Robin looked on curiously. He was still blindfolded, and Zoro's attack had not followed any particular pattern. It really had seemed like some form of precognition.

Zoro smirked. "Hey cook, why'd you dodge?" he asked.

The question seemed to infuriate Sanji, who spun around again. "Because I didn't want to get hit you shitty moss head!"

Luffy started laughing again, and Zoro seemed annoyed at the return of the nickname he hadn't heard since his previous life. He stifled his annoyance though.

"What I meant was, how did you know you were going to get hit?" Zoro asked.

"Because you were-!" Sanji stopped mid sentence and thought about what he was about to say. _Because you were thinking about swinging. _Although he was blindfolded, none of his observers missed the comprehension that dawned on his features, followed shortly by the look of triumph.

Sanji had awakened observation haki.

* * *

A/N: A lot of things on at once, even though this is pretty much an exposition chapter. As usual, tell me what you thought.


	37. Monkeys vs Monsters

I missed a review earlier in regards to the beginning of chapter 31, asking if Tashigi awakened armaments haki. To put it simply, no. I admit the way I wrote that was a bit vague, but what actually happened was that Luffy grabbed her sword and used armaments hardening on it before pushing her towards Crocodile so that the latter would have to dodge.

To those wondering about whether the power to hear the voice of all things as introduced in this story is canon, yes and no. The existence and concept of the ability are both canon, while the specific explanation as told by Luffy is my own theory. While I'm aware that it may be completely disproven later on, that's one of the drawbacks of having a fanfiction character know a lot more than the canon character does.

Since I'm on the topic, I might as well address the issue. Eventually this fanfiction will contradict the canon story to the point where, if held to the standards of said canon story, will have even more plot holes than _One Piece_ itself. So taking into account the rates of progression of both _One Piece_ and _One Piece: Second Wind_, there will come a time when I'll have to treat this as as an AU not just in regard to the time travel, but also in regard to various canon facts that I'll be forced to ignore. Just thought I'd tell you ahead of time so that when I get the anticipated, "Lost, Kaido/Big Mom/Dragon doesn't have that devil fruit! You did it wrong," I can say, "Talk to the phone bitch, cuz I called it." So now that I've wasted your time with over 200 words of commentary, enjoy the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXVII: Monkeys vs. Monsters

The next morning, the Strawhats awoke to the revelation that Sanji had awakened his haki. Usopp got excited and immediately suggested that they help him refine it by having him dodge some attacks. Nami pointed out that he was still new at it and asked if he should take it slow, but Sanji politely assured her that he'd be fine. Luffy, Zoro, and Robin knew that Sanji was even more excited than Usopp even if he didn't show it. He had stayed up all night after his first breakthrough, content in simply getting a feel for all of the Strawhats' auras. He found that suddenly having a way to reassure himself of their presence was gratifying. He was, after all, one of the stronger members of the crew, and took it upon himself to protect the others, even if he didn't admit it when it came to the male members. So being able to reach out with his senses and find them, something which he was able to do more and more successfully as the night had progressed, was something he appreciated. Luffy and Zoro had understood perfectly and had left him so he could practice.

Now Usopp suggested that he try to dodge some of Chopper's punches with his eyes closed. Sanji consented. At first he was having trouble dodging multiple blows, and a few punches would connect every now and then, much to Chopper's concern, but Sanji insisted they continue, neglecting to mention that the reindeer hybrid's punches didn't hurt much anyway. A few minutes passed, and gradually less blows began getting through as Sanji's dodges became smoother and more purposeful. He was starting to know what to look for in Chopper's aura in order to anticipate his movements. From the intent that drove his body to move, to the rise of his arm, to the area that he was targeting with his punch, Sanji knew what Chopper was going to do a split second after he decided to do it. While he was a novice in training to the eyes of Luffy and Zoro, the rest of the crew watched with fascination and awe as Sanji danced around all of Chopper's blows without ever opening his eyes. Once Sanji lasted a solid minute without taking any hits, they stopped.

"That was awesome Sanji!" Usopp yelled. "What should we try next?"

"Why don't you try hitting him with your slingshot?" Luffy suggested. "Just use normal pellets." Usopp nodded and put some distance between himself and the chef before pulling out his slingshot. Sanji closed his eyes again and focused, but as Usopp got ready to shoot, Sanji's brow furrowed. The chef moved prematurely to dodge, but the sniper adjusted his aim in a flash, and the pellet hit Sanji in the forehead dead center. Luckily it wasn't any special type of ammo, and only resulted in a small twinge of pain. Sanji hummed in thought.

"I get it," he mumbled. Luffy grinned.

"Learn anything?" the captain asked. Sanji opened his eyes.

"Dodging projectiles is different than dodging punches or kicks," the chef said. "With Chopper I was able to follow the path of his arm as he swung at me, but I can't sense Usopp's pellets, so I have to predict where he's going to aim and dodge before he shoots. Usopp is too good of a sniper though, so he was able to adjust his aim."

"So how can you get around that?" Zoro asked, although he knew the answer already.

"The easy way is to open my eyes, but that would defeat the purpose," Sanji said. "Sometimes I'll have shooters in my blindspot and that would put me in the same situation. Another way is to simply move faster so he can't keep up, but if I ever fought someone with my speed and reactions who was wielding a gun, I would face the same problem." He thought for a moment. "Let me try something," he finally said.

Usopp readied his slingshot again, and this time, Sanji moved at the exact moment that Usopp fired, successfully dodging the pellet. He told the sniper to keep going, and like before, it took a while before he got used to it, with a few pellets hitting him every now and then. Soon he again reached the point where none of Usopp's pellets were hitting him. It wasn't that he lacked the speed to dodge the various attacks; he had simply needed to get a feel for his new ability before he could utilize it effectively. When it was clear that none of his attacks would connect, Usopp stopped shooting.

"Damn Sanji. You're really getting the hang of this quickly. Are you a genius or something?"

"He seems to have a strong affinity for observation haki," Zoro commented. "That's why he learned it so early and quickly. Most likely when he learns armaments he'll have a harder time. That's how I was, only in reverse. I got the hang of armaments really quickly but struggled with observation for a while."

Robin turned to him. "I was curious about that actually. When did you two learn these haki forms?" she asked.

Zoro thought for a moment. "We started learning over two years ago," he said. Robin absently noted that he had said 'we,' which meant that he had known Luffy back then.

"So you both learned while in East Blue?" she inquired.

Zoro inwardly sighed as he nodded. Unlike Luffy, he could lie just fine, but he still didn't like deceiving his crewmates. He'd have to have a talk with Luffy later about when they could come clean about all this. Although he had a pretty good idea of what the captain had in mind, and if he was right, then they'd have to put up with this for a while longer.

"You said it was over two years ago," Nami said. "That was after you two met, wasn't it? Does that mean you learned it together?"

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know when we met?" he asked.

"Zoro told me. I was curious and asked, and he said you met over two and a half years ago," she answered.

Luffy tried his best to suppress his laughter at the irony, something which didn't escape the crew's attention. "Oh, he told you that?" he asked, with a hint of mirth. "Well, we didn't train together or anything, but we learned it at the same time, and I knew he was going to be learning it. I assume it was the same for him."

Zoro nodded in confirmation. "Actually, he's the one who told me to learn it," the swordsman said, providing extra information so as not to seem like he was being withdrawn with it.

Luffy scratched his head. "Yea, in a sense." The crew seemed to accept this easily enough.

"So guys, guess what?" Luffy asked excitedly, changing the subject. "I was going to make an important call, and I wanted you all to listen." As he spoke, he picked up a transponder snail from the deck. Zoro smirked.

"An important call?" Usopp repeated. "To who?"

"Whitebeard," Luffy answered, grinning. The crew went silent for a moment before all hell broke loose.

"You've got to be kidding! Why now!?" Nami yelled.

"Are you crazy Luffy!?" Usopp asked frantically.

"The strongest man in the world huh? Wonder what he's like," Sanji said.

"Is he scary?" Chopper asked fearfully. As they all quarrelled, Robin cleared her throat, and they turned to her.

"I can understand why you'd be nervous. In fact, I'm a little disconcerted myself. But it does make sense, doesn't it? We're their allies now. It's good to communicate every now and then, and we still haven't gotten in touch with them after his declaration a few days ago." she reasoned. Nami and Usopp still didn't look convinced. Zoro scoffed.

"If you guys are that afraid of hearing his voice, you don't have to listen," he said.

"A-afraid? Whose afraid? I-I'm not afraid, y-you idiot." Usopp stuttered.

"If you're going to lie, lie better," Sanji said. Nami sighed in defeat.

"Fine, but don't make a bad first impression, you hear?" she said as she pointed accusingly at Luffy, who laughed lightheartedly.

"Ok, sure!" he said. With that, he pulled out Ace's vivre card from his hat and dialed the number written on it. The crew waited with bated breath as it rang. On the fourth ring, someone picked up. The crew heard a rather deep voice speak up at the end of the line, but it was partially drowned out by background noise. The crew was able to recognize the distinct sound of loud music and yelling.

"You've reached the ship of the Whitebeard pirates." Nami, Usopp, and Chopper gasped at the confirmation. "Sorry about the racket, we're in the middle of a party, and everyone's drunk." the voice said.

"Drunk?" Sanji asked. "Isn't it a bit early?"

"Early?" the voice asked. "Where are _you_ calling from?"

"First half of the Grand Line," Luffy answered. Sanji's eyes lit up in comprehension.

"Oh, well that's rare. We don't get calls from Paradise often," the voice said. "What can I help you with?"

"Hey, I wanted to have a chat with old man Whitebeard!" Luffy shouted. "Who is this, by the way?" Some of the Strawhats thought he was being way too casual, but didn't voice it, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.

"This is 5th Division Commander Vista," the voice said. "If you want to talk to our captain, we're gonna need to know who you are at least."

"Oh yea," Luffy said. "This is Monkey D. Luffy." The other end was silent for a moment before the division commander started laughing.

"Ah, our new rookie brother! Sorry about that. Give me one sec." Most of the Strawhats let out breaths they didn't know they'd been holding. "Hey Pops!" they heard Vista shout. "It's the Strawhats!" It wasn't long before the crew heard an ever deeper voice start to speak.

"So, you finally contacted us. I was surprised when Ace called and requested that I ally your crew." Before the Strawhats could fully adjust to the fact that they were speaking with Whitebeard, Luffy answered.

"Yea, I'm guessing you don't have many allies that you haven't met face to face," he said. "We'll try to get over there as quickly as possible."

"I'm not surprised," Whitebeard replied. "Your crew has risen to fame even faster than that Red-Haired brat's back in the day. We had a good laugh after reading the newspaper a few days ago. We were expecting the headline, but the second page silenced any and all complaints amongst the crew about 'snot-nosed rookie brats' being allied with us."

"Why do those sound like your words?" Luffy asked in a deadpan voice.

"Because they were," Whitebeard replied, before erupting into a fit of of deep, throaty laughter. The crew's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "So anyway, have you seen your new bounties?" he asked.

"Ah, no we haven't," Luffy replied. "Don't tell us yet. I like the surprise."

"Gurarara! Fine. So was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

"Actually, yea there was." Luffy said. "What should we do if we run into Teach?"

The other line was silent for a moment. "Hmm, Ace has given up his search for the time being. You're all my children now, so no one would hold it against you if you took him down, however, I'd prefer if you didn't. Ace feels largely responsible for Thatch's death, despite what we've told him, and I think he needs the closure. But if that conniving little brat attacks you, then by all means, give him hell."

"Ok, got it," Luffy said. "In that case, I'll let you get back to being drunk."

Whitebeard scoffed. "I don't get drunk, brat!"

"Shishishi! You're just like Zoro," Luffy replied. "Oh, by the way, I'm gonna become the Pirate King. That ok with you?"

"Well, I don't want the title," Whitebeard responded. "I was planning on giving it to Ace, but he recently told me that he isn't interested either. So I guess it's all yours. Good luck on your journey brat." He hung up.

Luffy got up. "Well, that's that then." He turned to the his crew, and was confused as to why they were all gawking at him. "What?" he asked.

"'What' my ass!" they shouted.

* * *

The rest of the morning was smooth sailing for the Going Merry. That lasted until the afternoon, when it spontaneously started raining galleons. When that passed, the Strawhats realized that the Log Pose was pointing up at the sky. Nami started panicking, thinking that it was broken.

"I wouldn't say that," Robin interjected. "It's locked onto another magnetic field. It must be a sky island."

"Sky island?" Nami asked, clearly not believing it. "Come on Robin. There's no way something like that could exist, even on the Grand Line."

"That's where your way of thought falls short, Navigator-san. Common logic can't be applied to this sea. The only thing you can trust is the way the needle points. If it's pointing at the sky, then there's an island up there. Although, to be accurate, what's floating up there is a sea of clouds, not just an island."

Nami sighed. "Ok, but that still doesn't help us. The fact remains that we have no way to navigate to the next island while the log is pointing at the sky."

"Alright, here's what we do!" Luffy interrupted. "I'm the captain, and I say we're setting our course for Sky Island!" Nami's eye twitched.

"This isn't the time for your weird whims Luffy! We don't even know how to get there!" she reasoned.

"What's the big deal?" Luffy asked. "Just point the rudder upwards. Jeez, you're stupid Nami."

He was promptly sent crashing head first into the deck by Nami's fist. He quickly rebounded and jumped to his feet. "Alright! To Sky Island we go!" Usopp and Chopper cheered in agreement. Nami huffed in annoyance before turning to Robin.

"See what I have to put up with?" The archaeologist smiled good naturedly.

"He does have a point though," Robin said. "Our next course of action should be figuring out how to get to the sky. Perhaps we can ask for information somewhere. The only problem is that we can't get to the nearest island while the log is already set."

Nami nodded. They were in a difficult position. As she was deep in thought, Luffy snuck up behind her.

"NAMI!" he shouted, causing her to jump.

"What!?" she shouted in annoyance. "Don't make me hit you again!"

"But I have an idea!" he said.

"Oh joy. What is it this time?"

"Well, that galleon fell from Sky Island right? We should salvage whatever was on the ship to see if there are any clues about how to get up there."

Nami blinked. "That's...a good idea?"

Robin nodded. "It's the best we have to work with for now," she agreed.

"Alright! Onward to Skypeia!" Luffy yelled. Nami and Robin looked at him curiously.

"Skypeia?" they asked in unison. Luffy nodded.

"That's what the island is called," he said, pulling out a piece of paper. See?" The two looked at it in shock. It was a very old map of an island in the sky called Skypeia.

"Luffy, where did you get this?" Nami asked, bewildered.

"It was in the wreckage," Luffy said, pointing at the galleon, which was now mostly sunken.

"So there really is a sky island!?" Chopper asked in excitement. Nami sighed.

"Maybe," she admitted, causing Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper to cheer.

* * *

"Wow, there's so much air down here now," Luffy commented. He was currently underwater along with Zoro and Sanji. Nami had sent them diving down to the ocean floor to find whatever they could from the wreckage. So far they had found a lot, but nothing that would help them get to Skypeia. Luckily, Luffy and Zoro now had a plan for that. The aura they had both locked onto came bursting through the wall.

"Who the hell are you guys!? What are you doing in my territory!?" the man shouted.

"Oh look, it's a monkey," Luffy said.

The monkey like man immediately blushed. "Do I really look like a monkey?" he asked.

"You are a monkey," Luffy replied.

"Aw, you're just saying that!"

Zoro peered at him closely. "I don't think he's really a monkey," the swordsman said. "He just looks like one."

The monkey like man's demeanor immediately changed. "You bastard! Why don't you try saying that again!?" he shouted. Sanji stared in apathy.

"Hey monkey guy, who are you?" Luffy asked. His expression became friendly again.

"Oh, me? I'm the salvage king, Masira! There's no ship my crew can't salvage!" Suddenly, he took note of the many items that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji had collected. "Hey, what are you guys doing with those?" he asked menacingly.

"Oh, we were looking for clues on how to get to Sky Island," Luffy said. This caught Masira's attention.

"Hmm? Sky Island you say?"

"Yea, we wanna go there!" Luffy said enthusiastically.

"Well, you're in luck. I happen to know someone who can get you there," Masira said. "I can take you to him, but I demand those artifacts you've collected in exchange," he said.

"You've got a deal, monkey guy!" Luffy yelled, causing Masira puff out his chest. "Oh, can I keep the armor though? I don't think it will fit you."

"Armor?" Masira asked, before catching sight of what he was talking about. "Hmm, I see. You're a real man. But you'll have to fight me for it."

Luffy grinned. "Ok!"

* * *

"Um, guys? Am I imagining things, or is there something in the water?" Nami asked nervously. Usopp took a look for himself and started sweating bullets at the sight of the underwater silhouette, which dwarfed the Going Merry in size a hundred times over.

"I think it's safe to say you're imagining things," he said, still sweating.

"Are you sure?" Nami asked. "Because that looks exactly like-"

"Yep, definitely just your imagination! There are absolutely no monsters under the surface other than our very own monster trio-"

"It seems to be the silhouette of a colossal sea creature," Robin said calmly. Her comment seemed to shatter Usopp's barrier of denial, and he immediately began freaking out.

"Aaaaaauuuuuggghhh! We're gonna diiiieeee! Get out of there Luffy!" he screamed frantically.

* * *

Masira rubbed his sore head, attempting to shake off the cobwebs. "Man, that was one hell of a punch, I tell ya! You know, you're alright! You can keep that armor."

"Shishishi, thanks! But man, you really look like a monkey!"

"Nah, you're just saying that!"

_What's with this conversation? _Sanji thought. Zoro sweatdropped.

"So, how about we raise this ship up to the surface?" Luffy suggested.

Masira rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Oh, well you see I was going to do that, but then I came down here to investigate."

Luffy just grinned. "Don't worry about it. I have a better idea."

* * *

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper shivered in fright as massive waves rocked the Going Merry, displaced by gargantuan creature that was currently rising to the surface. As it emerged from the Grand Line waters, they saw that it appeared to be a...turtle. A really big turtle.

That surprised them almost as much as the sight of Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Masira riding on top of it...along with the sunken galleon.

"Heeeeyy! Guuuuys!" Luffy yelled happily. "Look what we found!" Their jaws collectively dropped as the smiling monster swam up to the Going Merry. Luffy grabbed Zoro, Sanji, and Masira and jumped down onto the ship, slowing his descent with geppou before landing.

"How…" was all Usopp said. Luffy grinned ecstatically.

"I tamed him!" he said in enthusiasm. They were silent. Even Robin looked dumbfounded.

"Again, how?" she asked.

"Conqueror's haki," Zoro said simply. Nami facepalmed.

"How about a warning next time?" she said.

"You sent us to the sea floor of the Grand Line," Zoro retorted. "What did you think would happen?"

"Damn, that was badass bro!" Masira practically shouted. "I thought we were in deep when I saw that thing! Then you just hold your hand out and it's practically at your beck and call!"

Nami looked at him in annoyance. "And you're still here...why?" Masira looked terribly offended by the question and huffed.

"He's gonna show us how to get to Sky Island...apparently," Sanji said.

"Really? You'll help us?" Usopp asked in excitement.

"You bet! I'll be taking you all to the manliest of men, the dreamer amongst dreamers himself: Montblanc Cricket! He lives on an island called Jaya, and he can get you there for sure!"

Sanji's eyebrow furrowed. "Montblanc? Where have I heard that name before…?" He was broken out of his thoughts as the sky turned dark. The Strawhats and Masira blinked in confusion. It was nowhere near nighttime yet. Was this another spontaneous Grand Line occurrence? Luffy and Zoro shared a glance. Something about this seemed...familiar.

Suddenly, both of their eyes widened. Slowly, they turned their heads toward the fog in the distance, and soon everyone else followed suit.

Their blood ran cold.

Submerged in the fog were the silhouettes of...well, monsters. There was no other way to phrase it. They were shaped like humans, but they were kilometers tall, easily dwarfing Luffy's newest "pet" in size. The silence lasted all of five seconds before all hell broke loose.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Luffy yelled as chaos ensued on the Going Merry. Most of the crew were scrambling to get the hell out of there.

"Stop standing around and help us get the ship to safety you idiots!" Nami shouted at Luffy and Zoro, who were standing still.

"If you would just wait one second..." Zoro began before getting cut off by Nami's shouting.

"Why the hell should we wait!? We're gonna die if we stay here!"

"I...don't think so?" Luffy said uncertainly. "Everyone calm down. Captain's orders." The Strawhats grudgingly stopped scrambling around, wondering what Luffy could possibly be thinking, ordering them to stay here of all places. Luffy turned to his first mate. "Zoro, do you notice something weird about those things?" he asked. The monsters were currently standing still, towering above the clouds, but immobile. Zoro nodded.

"They don't have auras," he replied. The Strawhats stared at the two in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked.

"He means they're not real," Robin breathed in realization. Luffy nodded slowly, as if he had just now come to the same conclusion. True to Robin's words, the silhouettes in the fog soon dissipated as if they had never been there to begin with. Luffy erupted into laughter as everyone collapsed onto the deck in relief. Zoro scoffed.

"Did you really think something that huge could sneak up on us?" the swordsman asked. Nami sighed.

"I guess not," she admitted.

"That...was terrifying," Chopper said.

"I-it w-wasn't that s-scary," Usopp stuttered from his seated position. Chopper looked at him in admiration. The crew soon recovered from their fright and remembered their destination.

"Hey monkey dude! Before we see this grasshopper guy, can we stop at the nearest town for supplies?" Luffy asked. Masira nodded in consent and said they could stop at Mock town. Nami's eyes widened.

"S-since when do you think about supplies?" she asked. Luffy looked at he quizzically.

"What do you mean? I'm the captain," he said. She looked at him wearily, but Luffy ignored her. "Next stop, Jaya!" The two ships started following Masira's Eternal Pose towards the island as the giant turtle followed behind.

* * *

In a bar in Mock town, a man in a black hooded cloak ignored the skirmishes of the numerous pirates around him as he took a sip of his wine. To an observer, it would seem as if he was waiting for someone. It wasn't long before a similarly dressed individual entered the bar and walked up to him. "Sir, they should be arriving soon according to our calculations."

The man nodded in acknowledgement. "I've got eyes on them right now," he said. He took another sip of his wine and grinned. "Let's see what you have in store for us...Monkey D. Luffy."

* * *

A/N: Who are these mysterious individuals awaiting the Strawhats? Find out next time, on Second Wind! (It's not a Tv show, but to hell with it.)


	38. Linked Through Legend

Stop crashing damn server! I want to upload this chapter already!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXVIII: Linked Through Legend

_Somewhere on the Grand Line_

The Big Top, flagship of the Buggy pirates, sailed aimlessly, the crew having no destination in mind. On deck, said crew were giving the captain a wide berth, lest they risk being blown away flashily. Buggy the Clown was persistent; he had followed Strawhat Luffy into the Grand Line, seemingly having no fear of the legendary sea, and even going as far as to speak of it with an air of nostalgia. And yet, it seemed that for all his seemingly endless flamboyance, even Buggy the Clown had limits; limits that most would refer to as a sense of reason.

When the Buggy pirates had first read the newspaper article describing the alliance between Whitebeards and Strawhats, they weren't sure how their captain would react. But his reaction was certainly not what they had expected. They were expecting a fit of flashy rage, and based on his prior exploits, maybe even heightened determination. What they didn't expect was him to fall into a state of depression. For the next couple days, he had done little other than eat, sleep, and sulk. When an underling had finally summoned the courage to ask why they weren't going after the Strawhats, he had almost been killed by a Muggy Ball. Buggy had then started going on a rant about how one _never _assaults a Whitebeard pirate or even one of their allies unless they were looking for a swift death. The crew had been baffled; after all, Captain Buggy had never been intimidated by a daunting or even impossible task before, so why now? But Buggy had seen things that they hadn't, images that were still fresh in his mind to this day.

For all their loyalty, his crew was naive. They didn't know what an enraged Edward Newgate was like. No, even Buggy the Clown could be rational at times, and that was his greatest shame.

"He needs to get over it," Alvida said as she leaned back in her chair. "Either risk defying Whitebeard or pick a new target. I don't care which. Anything's better than sitting around doing nothing."

Cabaji said nothing. Although he agreed with her, he had to sympathize with his captain's predicament. He had had his sights dead set on Strawhat Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, and now he was being forced to give it up. Perhaps the rest of the crew was optimistic, but Cabaji had no delusions of invoking Whitebeard's wrath and surviving. He sighed.

"We'll just have to wait for him to pull himself together. If I know him, he'll find some treasure to preoccupy himself with, and then he'll bounce right back. As much as I hate to admit it, going after Strawhat is suicide."

Alvida looked up at the sky. "Too bad. I was pretty interested in him too. I wonder if we'll ever see that annoying brat again." She smiled. "He packs one hell of a punch."

"He really does doesn't he?" came an unfamiliar voice. "But you should have seen him when he was a kid. He could barely move his fist in a straight line."

Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji turned around in shock to find a complete stranger sitting on deck and eating their food. Alvida reacted with hostility. "Who the hell are you, bastard!? What are you doing on our ship!?"

"Ah, forgive me. I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Portgas D. Ace. I was investigating a lead when I was lured here by the wonderful smell of your feast. Nice to meet you," he said with a formal bow.

Alvida was taken aback by his politeness. "Uh...pleasure's all mine...I guess..."

Cabaji on the other hand, was turning pale. "Portgas...D...Ace?" he repeated slowly. "Whitebeard's second division commander…?" Alvida's eyes widened.

Ace grinned widely. "Oh, so you know me? I'm flattered."

That was when the surrounding Buggy pirates started screaming in fear and generally creating chaos on board the ship. Ace looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "What's with them? You'd think the circus was in town." He looked back at Cabaji. "Then again, maybe it is. So? Where's the clown?"

Cabaji gulped. "Um...h-he's…unavailable...at the moment."

"Ah, really?" Ace asked. "Too bad. Marco once told me something interesting about the captain of the Buggy pirates, and I wanted to ask if it was true."

Before Cabaji could inquire what he meant, the door to the cabin burst open. "What's with all the commotion, you flashy bastards!? Can't I sulk in peace!?" Upon catching sight of Ace, more specifically, the mark of the Whitebeard pirates on his back, Buggy's expression went from outrage, to shock, and then back to outrage as he came to the wrong conclusion. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" he yelled as he lunged at Ace. "I haven't even touched that Strawhat bastard!" He put his full weight into the swing and punched Ace in the back of the head. The commander's head only budged an inch.

Mohji and Cabaji's jaws dropped as the rest of the crew went deathly silent and Alvida looked on with interest. Ace's face was expressionless, his eyes shadowed over. Before anyone could so much as let out a breath, the crew heard snoring, and were shocked to see that the Whitebeard pirate had fallen asleep.

_What the hell?_

* * *

_In a bar in Mock town_

"Looks like you've got nothing left," Roshio commented with a smug grin as he reached out his hand to grab the remaining pile of beli on the table. "So unless you want to bet your ass now, this game is over."

Before he could take the money however, the man sitting across from him grabbed his arm firmly. He looked at the man in contempt. "Hey, give it up. It was a fair game. You lost, get over it." But the man just kept staring down at the cards with a sickening smirk on his face. Roshio started to feel unnerved. He just happened to be playing with the one guy in town with a bounty higher than his own of 42 million. He'd rather not pick a fight with Bellamy the Hyena.

"I think you cheated, friend," Bellamy said quietly. Roshio's eyes narrowed.

"Don't try to cause trouble. When did I do something like that?"

"You definitely did," Bellamy insisted. "Am I right, Sarkies?"

The one he was addressing turned around in his chair. "Huh?" he asked in confusion, before he saw the cards on the table. "Oh, yea. That guy cheated for sure," he said nonchalantly. Upon hearing this, Roshio stood up in indignation, not ready to let something like this go. Bellamy also rose to his feet, and everyone in the bar could feel the tension in the air.

Just then, someone ran into the bar in a panicked frenzy. "Captain Bellamy! We've got trouble!" he shouted. Bellamy looked at him in annoyance.

"What is it, fool? I'm in the middle of something."

"There's a giant turtle at the coast!" the man shouted. Bellamy was not amused.

"What."

As his underling fumbled over an explanation, Bellamy noticed that Roshio was taking the chance to reach for his gun. He'd soon learn what a mistake that was.

* * *

"Sorry, Shelly! It looks like you can't follow us any further," Luffy said as the Going Merry dropped anchor. The town sized turtle stared down at him sadly and let out a roar of farewell that shook the entire island and had the Strawhats covering their ears. "Shelly" then turned around, creating waves the height of large buildings in the process, and started swimming away from the island, back into deeper waters. Usopp turned towards Luffy.

"Luffy, you know Shelly is a girl's name right?" he asked. Luffy looked at him blankly.

"Well, yea? Shelly is a girl after all," he said. Usopp sweatdropped, having had no way to determine the gender of that thing.

"Right. I'll take your word for it," was all he said.

"Um, Luffy?" Nami spoke up. "I think we just drew some attention to ourselves." Luffy turned towards the town and saw that she was right. People were flocking out of the bars and casinos in droves to see what the commotion was. Some were still able to catch sight of the colossal creature before it disappeared into the sea. Many were now pointing and whispering in awe at the pirates who had just waved the monster off. Needless to say, rumors were already circulating. It probably wouldn't be long before they were identified.

"Ah, so we have," Luffy said, not seeming to care as he kept staring out towards the center of town.

"So what else is new?" Zoro asked with a yawn. "Isn't this how things usually go?" As he walked towards the deck though, Luffy nudged him with his shoulder, and the two locked eyes. Zoro's expression soon became focused, and he closed his eyes. Robin was the only one who noticed this exchange, and as she debated whether or not to ask about it, Luffy addressed the crew. He told Chopper to guard the ship while Nami, Usopp, and Sanji went out for supplies. The doctor consented and began making a list of medical supplies they needed to restock on. Sanji could handle the cooking ingredients himself, while Usopp could find materials for some ship repairs and Nami could handle the expenses. After that, Luffy turned back to Zoro, who shook his head. The captain sighed.

_So he's not here. And to make things more complicated, _those_ guys have shown up again._

"Hey Robin, could you come with us?" he asked the archaeologist. Robin blinked and then nodded before following the captain and first mate off of the ship. As they walked, Luffy spoke up.

"Do you think you could search for information on a man named Blackbeard? We need to know if he's been through here," he said. Robin was baffled but nodded.

"It shouldn't be too difficult," she replied. "May I inquire why you're looking for this man? I don't believe I've heard of him before."

"He used to be a Whitebeard pirate," Luffy said. "But he betrayed them and killed a crewmate."

His voice was calm, but Robin could see the underlying anger in his eyes. Her eyes lit up in understanding. "So he's the one you were talking about on the transponder snail," she clarified. Luffy nodded.

"My brother Ace was looking for him, but something came up and he had to abandon his search. Since Blackbeard was spotted in Drum, and Ace was looking in Alabasta, I thought maybe he would come here next." Robin nodded slowly. Assuming that their log hadn't spontaneously locked onto Skypeia as well, this would be their destination.

"Are you planning on going after him?" Robin asked, remembering what Whitebeard had said about the matter. Luffy thought about it.

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet," he said.

"Very well then. What should I do if I happen to find him?"

"I don't think you will, but if that happens, don't go near him," Luffy said. "Just go back to the ship and we'll meet you there."

"Roger, Captain-san," she said with a smile. "By the way, you're being followed," she informed them as she gestured towards the rooftops.

"Yea, I know," Luffy said. "Don't worry about it." Robin raised an amused eyebrow but ignored her curiosity as she walked off towards the center of town. Once she was gone, Luffy turned toward the source of the poorly concealed auras and addressed them.

"That was my archaeologist. And in case you were wondering, she can't use observation haki. Now why don't you guys stop embarrassing yourselves?"

Several figures in black cloaks descended from the rooftops and began walking towards them. "I'd say that's not exactly your standard measuring stick," the one in front commented. "Especially considering that we've been searching for that woman unsuccessfully for 20 years." As he removed his hood, they got a good look at his face. He had shoulder length black hair and green eyes. Red markings originated from beneath his eyes and ran down his cheekbones.

Zoro smirked. "And you still thought we wouldn't notice you?" he asked.

The man, who they assumed was the leader of the group, smiled good naturedly. "More like I wanted to see if you would. My name is Mavric, chief of the Revolutionary Army's Cipher Division."

"Let's skip the small talk," Luffy said. "You've been tailing us ever since Alabasta. Why?"

The man's eyes widened, but the amused smile didn't slip from his face. "You knew? No, don't answer that. Of course you knew. You know a lot of things, isn't that right, Monkey-san?"

Luffy's eyes narrowed.

"But to answer your question, I think you nevertheless underestimate your own ability to draw the attention of an organization like ours. _He_ especially has taken an interest in you."

Luffy looked annoyed. "So in other words, he sent you after me. His curiosity must have gotten the better of him back then."

"If you're referring to your meeting in Logue town, I'd say it's more than that," Mavric said, before pausing. "You know, not many of us know his full name, but for those who do, it's difficult not to draw certain...connections.

"Point taken," Luffy said in a bored tone. "So? How much do you know?"

"Well, not much, if you consider how much we still _don't_ know. But we have picked up on a few things. Such as the fact that you've mastered all three forms of haki, you knew far more about Crocodile's plans in Alabasta than we did, and you know about the poneglyphs, as well as Nico Robin's ability to read them." He paused. "This next one is a stretch, and more my personal hunch than anything, but I'm also inclined to believe that you're most likely aware of one of the ancient weapons' location, something that we ourselves are in the dark about."

Luffy stared at him with a slightly bored expression, before unleashing a focused blast of Conqueror's haki on him. The man collapsed to one knee, and then to all fours, as his followers stiffened around him. None of them could feel the mental assault, which meant the full brunt of it was focused on their leader.

"Man you guys are annoying," Luffy said. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

Despite his current predicament, Mavric was still smiling, even if it was a frightened smile. "You...asked…!" he managed to gasp out from his position on the ground. The pressure on his psyche seized, and he rose shakily to his feet.

"Fine, I asked," Luffy said. "So then, what do you want? I'm not telling you where Pluton is. Do you have any idea how much crap Robin went through to make sure that thing didn't wind up in anyone's hands?"

"It's nothing like that," Mavric assured him. "We, too, desire to keep the ancient weapons hidden. Contrary to popular belief, we don't enjoy war."

"Is that why you were looking for Robin?" Zoro asked suspiciously.

"There were a couple reasons for that," the revolutionary acknowledged. "But we never planned on using her like that. We wanted to keep her out of the World Government's hands, and perhaps give her a place to belong again. After Ohara rebelled against the World Government, the boss thought that she could relate to our cause, and that in turn we could help her achieve her ambitions." He rubbed his head sheepishly. "But she turned out to be quite elusive, and we could never actually find her. Some of us thought we should commit more resources for it, but the boss didn't want to send the wrong message."

Luffy took that in for a moment. "So why are you still following us then?"

"Well, we were hoping to learn more about you, as was our mission, but something tells me that won't work out from now on-"

"If I see you again I'll kick your ass," Luffy interrupted.

"Right," Mavric said. "For now, just consider us allies. We learned about the coup in Alubarna while we were tailing you, and we were prepared to prevent it ourselves, but evidently you didn't require assistance. You kept Alabasta out of Crocodile's hands, and for that we're grateful." He handed Luffy a piece of paper with a number written on it. "We won't be able to commit a force to aid you, but something tells me you wouldn't want us to anyway. Still, if you ever need anything, just call."

Luffy thought for a moment. "Actually, I do have a question. Has my brother found you guys yet?"

Mavric raised an eyebrow. "Brother? I wasn't aware-"

"Not by blood. You know Portgas D. Ace right?"

"Firefist? I don't know him, but I know of him. Indeed, he was turning over stones trying to find us. The boss wanted to know what a Whitebeard commander wanted with us, so he's having our second in command meet with him."

Luffy's eyes widened. "Second in command? So he's meeting with-" He stopped suddenly, realizing what he'd just implied. To his right, Zoro palmed his face in frustration, while Mavric just stared at him wide-eyed before breaking out into a triumphant grin.

"And then there's the fact that you know who our second in command is! On one hand, that's a massive blow to our pride. On the other hand..._jackpot!_"

Luffy glared at him, and he fell to his knees again.

* * *

_In a local restaurant_

Most of the customers in the establishment were losing their appetites as they watched a girl with pink hair and purple eyes stuff her face, emptying out the restaurant's stock of food in the process. Next to her lay the bodies of multiple unconscious men.

"Damn, is she still eating?" one of the waiters asked quietly as he watched the scene in front of him.

"Yea, and that's the third bounty head she's knocked out," another whispered. "Just don't piss her off, whatever you do. Rumor has it that girl has a bounty of 70 million."

"Hey, are you serious? That's even higher than Bellamy's! Who is she anyway?"

"They call her the Glutton…" he began, before getting hit in the head by a thrown plate.

"Hey, stop whispering about me over there! Go get me some more pizza before I eat you instead, you useless dipshits!" The waiters scrambled to do as they were told so as to not incur the wanted pirate's wrath.

"Captain!" a man shouted as he ran into the bar, panting. "It's the guy you've been looking for, he's here in town! Their ship is docked at the coast!"

"Dammit! I haven't finished my meal yet!" the girl shouted. "But whatever. I found you, Strawhat Luffy!"

* * *

A/N: A few of you guessed correctly that the guy from last chapter was a revolutionary. Care to guess who this person is? (If you can't, you're either thinking too hard or not thinking at all.)


	39. Small Ripples, Big Waves

A notice to all: Now that I'm back in school, my updates will most likely be less frequent than have been recently. Even this chapter's upload was affected by the move-in to my dorm. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up.

People who are asking how Luffy was in the sea in chapter 37 need to go back and read/watch the manga/anime. Usopp made them diving suits! Out of barrels!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XXXIX: Small Ripples, Big Waves

Zoro took a long swig of his sake and motioned for the bartender to pour him some more. Luffy sat beside him, his drink untouched. One thing Zoro had noticed about Luffy was that he never drank alcohol unless he was happy or wanted to celebrate something. He didn't drink for the sake of forgetting his problems, or even getting drunk (which, with his body's metabolism and general disregard for realistic human biology, he could barely do anyway). In this way he was the polar opposite of the average binge drinker. To Luffy, alcohol was in equal parts a symbol of the pirate life, a medium for his friendly rivalry with his first mate, and a fun way to let go during a party. But never was it an escape from his troubles.

So when Luffy left his drink untouched, it was hard for Zoro not to miss that he wasn't in the best of moods. The unsettled feelings rolling off him in waves, which were not missed by the swordsman's passive observation, also made it abundantly clear. He sighed before turning to his captain.

"There's no point dwelling on it you know. Until we meet up with Robin, we won't even know if he's been here, much less where he's going." Luffy nodded, but he was still disheartened.

"I'm just worried. I know things won't turn out like last time - we won't let them - but the fact that the bastard is still out there doesn't help anything."

Zoro stared at him curiously. "What would you have done if he was here? Provoked him?"

Luffy shrugged. "There would be no need. You know what position he's after. If we were both on the island, _he_ would have aimed for _me _the first opportunity he got." He clenched his fist. "But there goes that plan."

Zoro thought for a moment. "Still, there aren't that many bounty heads which would guarantee him that position in these seas, and unless Ace confronts him, which he told us he wouldn't yet, I doubt he'll be able to make his move at this point. I don't know why he's not here, but most likely, you're still his prime target."

Luffy thought about the logic for a moment. He agreed with it, but he still couldn't shake the unfounded apprehension in his gut. He sighed and resolved to stop worrying so much. It wasn't really his style.

"But even if it doesn't go as planned," Zoro continued, "We'll prevent the worst of it. If it somehow escalates to that point, we'll follow him to Marineford if we have to." He looked at Luffy meaningfully. "_All_ of us."

Luffy couldn't help but smile. He picked up his glass. "In the meantime, let's make sure it doesn't," he said before chugging. He was admittedly in a much better mood after that reassurance. Even if the scars on his body had disappeared once he had come to the past, the scars on his mind would always linger to an extent. He didn't want to storm Marineford again, and he didn't think he would have to, but if it absolutely came down to it, he would, and the thought that he wouldn't be alone was welcoming.

Luffy and Zoro heard the sound of the bar doors opening behind them, accompanied by the feeling of a stronger than average aura walking in. That alone usually wouldn't make them bat an eye. It was the fact that they instantly recognized the presence that caught them off guard. They shared a glance, both asking each other the same question. _Was she here last time?_

Luffy fought the urge to turn around in his seat and instead waited as she walked up to the counter and sat down on the stool next to him.

"Bartender! I'll have a glass of wine over here," the familiar voice spoke. Luffy snuck a glance at her, and was assaulted by memories that almost made him recoil in guilt as he met her inquisitive eyes.

_Luffy sat in front of Ace's grave for the first time. He had never gotten a chance to pay him a proper visit, and the fact that he was finally getting that chance when the encounter with his late brother's betrayer was likely days away was fitting in the most twisted of ways. _

_It was the calm before the storm. _

_Beside him, Jewelry Bonney sat in silence as she payed her own respects. She hadn't known Ace for that long, but Luffy could still feel the overwhelming grief radiating from her. After what seemed like hours, Luffy stood up, and Bonney slowly did the same as she wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. _

"_We have to go," Luffy said somberly. She simply nodded. _

"_Give that bastard hell, Strawhat," she said with conviction. _

_Luffy looked at her carefully. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know you wanted to go after him too." _

_Bonney shrugged nonchalantly, although Luffy could see the disappointment in her eyes. "Can't be helped. Trafalgar's taking heavy heat. One of us has to back him up, and I have no delusions of my crew taking on Blackbeard alone." Her voice was bitter as she said that. She had learned her lesson the last time, and the Yonko crew had gotten far too powerful since then. Still, if Luffy didn't have just as much business with Blackbeard, if not more, than she did, she'd probably be throwing a fit about these arrangements. "Still, I didn't think the remnants of two defeated Yonko crews would band together just to take you down. Big Mom's remaining followers seem relentless."_

"_That's only natural after I killed their Captain," Luffy said quietly. _

_Bonney looked at him in slight annoyance. "Will you _stop _acting guilty? That bitch killed Jinbe. Did you forget?"_

"_No," Luffy whispered. Jinbe's death was still fresh in his mind, as was their most recent loss. "Ace, Jinbe, and now Marco. I wasn't supposed to let this happen."_

"_You can't be everywhere at once," Bonney argued. "If you guys hadn't helped us with Big Mom, _I'd_ have bitten the dust. Count your blessings, not your failures." That made Luffy smile. The third member of their alliance had just unwittingly paraphrased the words Jinbe had spoken to him at his darkest hour. "If it enrages you so much, channel that fury and unleash it onto your enemies. I've seen you do it before," she continued._

"And I'll do it again," Luffy said.

_Bonney looked at him worriedly. Her eyes were uncharacteristically soft. "But keep an eye out, Strawhat. I have a bad feeling about this one," she said. _

"_I'd be surprised if you didn't. It's_ Blackbeard_." Luffy replied. Bonney could only nod._

"_The balance of power in the world is shifting rapidly. There's no telling what could happen. Just...be careful, alright?" she requested. _

_Luffy looked at her and smiled. "I'll be coming back, Bonney. You just make sure Trafalguy does the same."_

_So many broken promises._

Luffy was broken out of his memories as Bonney spoke. "So you're Strawhat," she mused. "You know, for some reason I thought you'd be taller. You sure don't look like someone who could beat Crocodile," she muttered.

Luffy recovered quickly and smiled in good nature. "Looks can be deceiving. Croc learned that the hard way." Around them, murmurings of disbelief were breaking out in the bar. Whispers of "_THE Strawhat," and "outrageous rookie" _were abundant.

Bonney hummed. "If you say so. I still say it was a fluke."

Luffy simply smiled wider in response to the obvious taunt. "It's hard to fluke your way to victory over a New World veteran, though I'd be the first to admit that it's not impossible. Anyway, you're free to believe whatever you want."

Bonney huffed. "Not gonna rise to the bait? I wanted to see if you really earned that huge bounty of yours."

Luffy scratched his head. "Huge bounty huh? I still haven't gotten a chance to see the posters, so don't tell me."

Bonney raised an eyebrow before pulling out three posters and handing them to Luffy, who took them and looked in interest along with Zoro. Sanji had gotten a bounty early this time, Zoro's was higher than last time, and his own most likely put the other future supernova's to shame. Still, from the numbers he could surmise that the defeat of the three vice admirals had been covered up.

"Looks about right," Zoro said with a grin. Luffy on the other hand, raised an eyebrow.

"Have you been searching for us by any chance?"

Bonney shrugged. "Maybe a little," she admitted. Luffy inwardly laughed.

_Yea, only so much that you altered your course. _

"So then what can I do for you?" he asked.

Bonney grinned. "Fight me," she said. Luffy stared at her quizzically.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. To be honest, I don't really care that much that you beat Crocodile. But that didn't even make the headline. Somehow, you got Whitebeard himself to acknowledge you. I want to know what that old man was thinking."

"Ah, so that's it," Luffy said. Bonney had always looked up to the Whitebeard pirates. He wasn't that surprised that her curiosity had gotten the better of her. "Ok then. I guess I'll fight you."

"Not in here you won't," the bartender said. "Take it outside, will you?"

As the two made their way out of the bar, Zoro following lazily behind, Luffy noticed another aura outside. _Oh great, another one._

"Hope you're ready," Bonney said once they got outside. "I won't take it easy on you."

"I'd be insulted if you did," Luffy replied with his hands in his pockets. Before they could begin, however, the presence that Luffy had noticed earlier shot towards him from within the crowd. Luffy moved his body out of the way as Bellamy passed by him, his momentum enhanced by his devil fruit. The pirate landed on the other side of him and turned to face him again. Bonney looked annoyed that they'd been interrupted.

"Who the hell are you, asshole!?" she shouted. "We were in the middle of something!" Bellamy looked at her in disinterest.

"Shut it, bitch. I have no interest in you," he said. Bonney's eye twitched, and she glared at him darkly. Luffy got the distinct feeling that Bellamy would be crippled for life if he didn't intervene in...whatever this was.

"Since you attacked me, I assume I'm the one you're after," Luffy said. "Can we just hurry this up? I have places to be. Like Sky Island, for instance." His words silenced the crowd. He heard the sound of poorly suppressed giggles from some of those watching, but payed in no mind. Bellamy was staring at him like he'd just told the funniest joke known to man. Even Bonney looked slightly amused, although she didn't laugh at him.

"Oh, that's rich! You really believe in that children's tale? I was curious to know what you were actually like, but this is just too much!" Bellamy said, laughing.

Luffy looked at him in confusion. "Why are you acting like you know me?" he asked. Bellamy grinned.

"It's hard to not hear any of the rumors circulating about Strawhat Luffy. I wanted to know if they were true or not. But now that I've heard you say _that_, I can tell it was all a load of bullshit. You're just another hopeless dreamer! I'll enjoy crushing you. You see, I have a win streak here, and it's not good for my reputation for some overly hyped rookie punk like you to just come waltzing right in! For whatever reason, your bounty is higher than mine, and I won't settle for second best!"

Bonney was now looking at Bellamy like he was some sort of annoying insect that she was debating whether or not to squash, while Luffy stared at him blankly. "Good thing you aren't second best then," he said. At the look of confusion on Bellamy's face, Luffy elaborated. "Even if you don't count my crew members, she's stronger than you," he said, pointing at Bonney.

Bonney blinked, wondering how he could know that when they hadn't fought yet. Bellamy on the other hand, grinned in amusement.

"I'm starting to think you got that bounty for pissing people off with your bad jokes, kid." That was the last straw for Bonney, who promptly sent him skidding across the pavement with a kick to the face.

Bellamy picked himself up and touched the side of his face, which was covered in blood. His shock was quickly replaced by rage. "You'll pay for that one, bitch!" he shouted, turning his legs into springs. "_**Spring Snipe!**_"

Bonney rolled out of the way as he launched by her. This seemed to infuriate him more as he skidded to a stop, before launching himself towards the nearest building, pushing off, and then bounding off the ground again. He was soon bouncing off the walls and ground at every turn, gaining momentum quickly. Realizing what he was about to do, Bonney just smirked and raised her fist in the air. "_**Spring Hopper!**_" he yelled as he rocketed towards her.

Faster than either of them could see, Luffy jumped in between the two, catching Bonney off guard, and planted his fist into Bellamy's face as he came. The spring man's body was imbedded into the pavement below, and he had a fist shaped imprint on the side of his face that hadn't already been damaged.

"Come back and try again when your ambition is stronger," Luffy said. He hadn't used any haki and had held back immensely so as to not cause any permanent damage, but it was still enough to send Bellamy into unconsciousness after he heard the words.

Bonney stared at him incredulously, surprised by not only his speed but his audacity. "What the hell, moron!? _I_ wanted to do that!" she screamed.

"You took too long," Luffy replied. "Now where were we?"

"I was about to kick your ass," Bonney growled.

"Oh that's right. You were about to try," Luffy responded. "Whenever you're ready."

Bonney didn't hesitate and aimed a roundhouse kick at Luffy's face, which he didn't bother dodging. She looked slightly dumbfounded as he didn't even budge.

_As expected, she hit much harder in the future, _Luffy thought as he remembered their first encounter in the New World. Bonney soon recovered from the no sell and aimed a jab at his face, which he casually leaned his head out of the way to avoid. That led her to launch into a furious combo of punches and kicks, the speed and power of which could have rivaled Sanji. Nevertheless, his body seemed to flow around the attacks like water. Luffy caught her fist in his hand on the last strike, but soon let go and jumped back upon feeling a familiar sensation stemming from her arm, as well as the intent of what she was about to do. She stared at him in speculation.

"You knew exactly what I was about to do," she stated in an accusing tone.

"That's not true," Luffy defended. "Whether you were trying to increase my age or lower it, I can only guess." This caused a tick to develop over her eye.

"You knew about me beforehand," she grumbled, as if it was breaking some sort of rule. Luffy couldn't stifle a laugh at the irony. _If only she knew..._

Zoro was grinning in amusement as well as he watched the skirmish, and this only left Bonney more indignant, causing her to charge recklessly at Luffy. In a flash, he was behind her. She let out a startled gasp as her arm was pulled behind her back and she was pinned to the ground.

"Give up yet?" Luffy asked while she attempted to wriggle free with limited success.

"You wish!" she yelled, before beginning to shrink before his eyes. In the form of a child she had more room to maneuver herself into a position where she could squirm free. Luffy jumped back again to avoid the next barrage of kicks, but Bonney soon followed, reaching out to use her devil fruit power again. Luffy avoided her hand and touched two fingers to her forehead. Her eyes widened as she struggled to move but couldn't.

"What...the hell?" she said out loud.

"You have strong will, but you haven't learned to make use of it yet," Luffy said, before pushing her backwards. "You lost this time."

Bonney looked like she might try again as she regained control of herself, but instead took a deep breath. "Ok, so maybe it wasn't a complete fluke," she grumbled. "I guess Whitebeard would know what he was doing."

"Well thanks," Luffy replied. "But it was Ace who recommended me."

Bonney looked surprised. "You know Ace?" she asked curiously.

"He's my older brother," Luffy affirmed. It took a while for her to process that before her eyes widened.

"You're Ace's brother!?"

_So she already knows him. _He nodded in confirmation. When her shock subsided, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Funny. He didn't mention you," she said.

"When did you meet him?" Luffy asked in interest. He thought he saw the faintest tinge of red on her cheeks.

"Just a few days ago," she responded with a slightly sheepish tone.

"Well that makes sense," Luffy said. "I met up with him in Alabasta, but he didn't mention you either. I guess you two met after that." He smiled. "And he was probably getting back at me for not mentioning him to my crew." He heard Zoro stifle a laugh.

Bonney paused for a moment. "Just out of curiosity, do you know if he's…" she trailed off.

Luffy stared at her in confusion. "If he's what?" he asked dumbly. The red on her face seemed to intensify.

"Um...it's not important. Never mind." She paused awkwardly. "So...what did you mean when you said you were going to Sky Island?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "Isn't that place a myth?"

"No way!" Luffy said assertively. "It has to be real because I say it is!"

"That makes no sense."

"No really! I know this guy who's been there once!"

"Right. And I'm the Pirate Empress."

"I know her too!"

"Of course you do."

Luffy glared at her childishly. He had yet to tell a single lie. With a pout, he turned and walked away. She glared after him.

"Where are you going?" she asked as Zoro followed him.

"To the sky!" he yelled determinedly. As he walked along with his first mate, Zoro sighed.

"Well she's exactly the same," he commented.

"Yea. Just as hotheaded as ever," Luffy replied.

"That wasn't quite what I meant. She feels the same way towards Ace. I guess some things don't change."

Luffy stared at him quizzically. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Zoro sighed again.

"You can't be serious," the swordsman deadpanned.

Luffy stared at him. "Bonney and...and _Ace_?"

"I'll tell you when you're older," was all he said. Luffy grew annoyed.

"You're not that much older than me!" he objected. "And you don't know anything about relationships either!"

Zoro scoffed. "There's a difference between ignoring something because it's distracting and being completely oblivious to it."

Luffy smirked. "You're right. I ignored Hancock's marriage proposals for two years because they were distracting, while you have a fetish for long and pointy things."

A crowd gathered around as the two started brawling in the middle of the street.

* * *

When Luffy and Zoro got back to the ship, everyone was already there. They were surprised to see them both covered in dirt and light bruises.

"What the hell happened to you two?" Nami asked. They pointed at each other.

"He was being an idiot," they said simultaneously. Nami shook her head.

"Whatever. We're all good for supplies, so we can leave at any time," she said. Hearing this, Luffy turned to Robin, who already knew what he was going to ask.

"Sorry, Captain-san. There was no information on a man named Blackbeard. It seems he hasn't been through here." Luffy nodded. He'd expected as much.

"Alright," he said, turning to Masira. "Let's go meet this Cricket guy then."

As the Strawhats rose anchor, Luffy thought about what Teach's absence could mean. Although he'd expected it from the beginning, it was quickly becoming apparent that the changes made to this timeline would not all be according to his own intentions. He didn't really mind that to be honest. Some things would just be too boring if he knew exactly what was going to happen. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what had changed in this case. Meeting Bonney early had made him realize that any small ripple could become a big wave and throw off the course. There could be a multitude of reasons why Blackbeard would change his course from Mock town. Like the log picking up on another magnetic field. Like another bounty head catching his interest, or inversely…

Like losing interest in the bounty head that led him to Jaya in the first place, for fear of pissing off a certain Yonko even more if he took it.

The alliance.

* * *

A/N: Ah, the butterfly of doom. It had to rear it's head eventually. Tell me what you thought, as usual. Lost out.


	40. Knocking on Heaven's Gates

Hey, I'm back! Despite the fact that I can't hear it across the internet, I will nevertheless take immense pride in the chorus of applause that is no doubt taking place around the globe as a result of my glorious return. Hey...hey does anyone have an ice pack? My entire head is swelling for some reason.

Delusions of grandeur aside, I do hope you enjoy the 40th chapter of Second Wind. Now that I've gotten this far, I've been brainstorming something special I could do for chapter 50. After much thought, I decided on an omake, which depicts an alternate version of events during the Baroque Works saga, and how it would have played out had they followed canon more closely. After much more thought, I decided to forgo the formalities and simply post it this chapter, partially because I'm not good at waiting. Like, at all.

But you guys probably won't judge me for that, since you get 150,000 words of content in 7 months as a result. Now without further ado, I present to you, my wonderful world of Peggy Sue.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Alabasta Omake: Mr Prince

Luffy twitched in agitation in the face of the situation he was currently in. He was trapped in a cell surrounded by seastone at all sides. He had considered using geppou to get out, but the ceiling was seastone was well. How troublesome. On the other side of the bars stood none other than Crocodile, and on the inside sat Smoker, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and himself. The fact that they were all in this cage again was extremely frustrating. From Zoro's annoyed expression, he could tell that they were both thinking the same thing. _How the fuck are we here right now? _It was ridiculous. The chances of them ending up in this situation _again _were lower than the chances of either one of them losing to Croc in a fight.

Usopp hummed thoughtfully. "A most cunning plan indeed," he said with his arms crossed.

"My ass," Luffy mumbled.

"I think you're hardly one to refute that claim Strawhat, seeing as you fell for it," Smoker pointed out. Luffy turned to him with an outraged expression.

"Like I give a shit what you think! You're the reason we're in this stupid situation, Smokey!"

"Stop calling me that!" Smoker shouted.

"No!" Luffy yelled stubbornly. "Go get high on your smoke somewhere else, you stupid cloud! Why do you even smoke two cigars!? It makes no sense! If you weren't a smoke logia your lungs would be tumors by now!" he ranted. "Fucking White Blunder!" He stopped and caught his breath.

"You done?" Smoker asked emotionlessly.

"Yea…" Luffy said, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "Yea, I'm done."

"Let's not fight amongst ourselves," came the smug voice of Crocodile. "As prisoners doomed to the same fate, you should make peace with each other. Hell, you could even-"

"And _you!_" Luffy shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Crocodile. "Stop being such a Croc! Always walking around with your _I'm such a Croc_ attitude! It's annoying!" Crocodile looked extremely amused by the fact that his prisoner was shouting at him.

It was then that Robin walked in with a captive Vivi and set her down on the chair in the middle of the room. Crocodile welcomed her and finally explained his plan to her, smirking all the while, just to upset her. It was working. "Wipe that shit eating grin off your face, Sandman," Luffy said. "This was a complete and utter fluke! The chances of this plan of yours actually working were less than the chances of you actually getting a hit in on Whitebeard!" Crocodile was seething at this comment, but Robin spoke up before he could retaliate.

"Doesn't that just make you look even more foolish, Monkey-san?" she asked.

"And _you_," he said, pointing at her with a pout. "Stop being mean, Robin."

She sighed. "Will you stop calling me that?"

"No!" he yelled stubbornly.

"You know, I find it amusing how you go along with your antics as if the threat of death doesn't even concern you," she said. "Perhaps you're a little oblivious to the situation you're in? One could even say you're on the losing side of this game," she said with a smile. Luffy developed a tic over his eye at this comment, but then took a deep breath and sat down.

"Fifteen minutes," he said simply. They both looked at him in confusion. "I give you fifteen minutes at most, and then we're out of here." Zoro smirked at his wellfound confidence.

"What kind of nonsense are you spewing?" Crocodile asked with an annoyed expression. Evidently he was still irked about the Whitebeard comment. Luffy just looked at Robin.

"Fifteen minutes," he repeated. "Set your watch." Robin raised an eyebrow and checked the exact time just to humor him, smiling all the while. Crocodile seemed even more annoyed by this act, but then he just smiled as well.

"If you plan on getting out of here, I suppose you'll need this, now won't you," he said, holding up a gold key. Luffy looked at it indifferently, and Crocodile threw it into the water through a trap door. Vivi looked on in horror as a Bananadile swallowed it. She frantically relayed this news to the rest of them, and Crocodile laughed again. "I guess you'll have to choose, Princess. Your country, or these pirates." He pressed a switch, and water started flooding out from a larger trap door into the room, reminding them that they were underwater.

Soon, a Bananadile crawled out of the tank, baring it's fangs at Vivi. Vivi seemed to be getting ready to defend herself as it made her way towards it, but then it stopped. Vivi looked confused as the beast turned towards the cage with wide eyes, as if there was something there that had caught its attention. Crocodile and Robin of course noticed, and the former frowned at the lack of human consumption. But then he shrugged and started walking away, and Robin followed. Before they could leave however, the ringing of a transponder snail made itself known. Crocodile frowned again, not expecting a report, as Robin answered it.

"Hello?" she greeted.

"Hello? Hello," a voice which the Strawhats all recognized came. "Is this thing on? I've never used one of these mini ones before..."

"Yes, I can hear you just fine," Robin said. "Are you one of the Millions or Billions?"

"Yea, sure, let's go with that," the voice said, not indicating which one. Crocodile grew impatient.

"Do you have a report to make? Spit it out already," he said.

"Ah, now this voice I recognize," the voice said. "Hello, you've reached the shitty restaurant."

Crocodile immediately understood who he was talking too, and his expression darkened. "Who the hell are you," he growled.

"Oh, me? Well, I don't feel inclined to tell you my real name," the voice said. "But all things considered, I think I'll go with...Mr. Prince."

"Fine then, _Mr. Prince_, where are you right now?" Crocodile asked in a harsh tone.

"I don't feel inclined to tell you that either, now that you mention it."

"Yo Prince!" Luffy shouted. "We're in a bit of a bind! Mind getting your ass over here?"

"Hmm, that voice sounds familiar too. Alright Sir Crocodile, tell him I'll be there in a-"

Suddenly something that sounded like a gunshot came from the other end of the line. Everyone stiffened as the silence became oppressive. Then, another voice came over the transponder snail. "Hello, is this Mr. 0? Billions agent reporting in. I've just apprehended our attacker in front of Rain Dinner's. He was a tough bastard, but I finally got him."

Usopp and Nami went into full on panic mode at those words, but Luffy and Zoro just wore satisfied grins, leaving Smoker to look at them in suspicion. He kept silent though.

Crocodile strode out of the room followed by Robin, determined to satisfy his vindictive urge to impale something. Luffy watched until they were gone, then turned to Vivi. "Vivi, follow after them but stay in the casino. Sanji isn't the type to lose to cannon fodder." Vivi's eyes widened, realizing what he was implying. She glanced nervously at the Bananadiles that were accumulating in the room, but none of them made a move against her. They were all just staring at the cage hesitantly. She ran up the stairs and out of the room.

* * *

Crocodile and Robin looked at the scene before them, one in fury, and the other in wonder. Crocodile turned to one of the few Millions who was still awake. "Who the hell did this?" he asked quietly. "M-Mr-P-Prince…" he managed before passing out. Crocodile's expression turned murderous as he saw a tall, well built man watching them from afar. The man dashed away, and Crocodile glided after him in rage. Robin stared after them. Something about this just didn't feel right to her.

* * *

Back in the flooding room, Nami and Usopp were still panicking. They rounded on Luffy and Zoro. "Why the hell are you two so calm!?" Usopp shouted.

"In case you haven't noticed, we're all about to drown!" Nami added. Luffy ignored them, seemingly lost in his own world.

"First, I'll shove that cigar down his throat," he said to himself. "Then I'll rip that hook off his arm and hit him with it repeatedly. And then I'll…" He was interrupted by Smoker, who spoke up for the first time in a while.

"Strawhat. How much do you know about Crocodile's plan?" he asked slowly.

Luffy stared at him. "Enough," he said simply.

"That woman who was with him has been on the run from the government for 20 years," Smoker continued. "She has a bounty of 70 million, if I remember correctly."

"79 million," Luffy corrected. Nami and Usopp looked shocked at this.

"From the moment those two joined forces, this became something much bigger than a plot to overthrow a nation. If left alone, this situation could develop into a global catastrophe. That woman is dangerous," Smoker said.

Luffy stared at him for a long while before turning away. "Do you believe everything that stupid government of yours tells you?" he asked.

Smoker's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"I just meant that you seemed smarter than that," Luffy said. "Rather than just believing everything you're told, why don't you actually think for yourself?"

Smoker seemed to actually contemplate this before they heard a voice call out.

"Sorry guys. Did I keep you waiting?" Sanji asked as he stood in front of the cage and blew out a puff of smoke. Vivi strolled behind him, panting for breath.

"No, you're just in time," Zoro said with a satisfied smirk. Nami and Usopp looked like they were about to cry at the very sight of him.

"Sanji," Luffy said. "I need you to make that Banana throw up," he said as he pointed to the Bananadile on the far side of the room. Smoker turned to him.

"Is something wrong with your ears, Strawhat? That one's growl is wrong." Luffy shook his head.

"I doubt that was the real key Croc threw. He doesn't take any chances." Smoker nodded at the logic, but was unconvinced.

"So then how will going after a different one help?"

"**Anti Manner Kick Course.**" The Bananadile on the far side of the room retched as it was thrown up into the air, and when it fell back down, it vomited a large white ball. The ball cracked before it opened up like an egg, and Mr. 3 hatched from it, breathing deeply.

"Finally!" he gasped. "I thought I was really gonna die!" He took long gulps from the water until he was refreshed, and finally turned towards the cage. His eyes widened. "Aaaaahhh! Strawhat!" he shouted.

"Yo! What's up 3? I need you to make a key to this lock so we can escape." Mr. 3 slowly took in the situation they were in before smiling deviously. "Oh? And why should I do such a thing?" he asked in a low tone.

After Sanji explained to him through non-verbal means exactly why he should do such a thing, leaving out the boring parts, Mr. 3 relented and picked the lock using his powers. The cage door opened. "Oh, nice job wax guy," Sanji complimented. Mr. 3 rubbed his head sheepishly before he was knocked out by another one of Sanji's kicks.

"Thank you Sanji-kun! You're the best!" Nami shouted in relief. Sanji grinned widely.

"I'll bet you're falling in love with me all over again, huh?" he said.

"Sure, whatever."

* * *

Crocodile made his way back into the room with Robin in stride. "So all that was to lead me away from the room and buy them some time? As if it matters," he said in an annoyed tone. "Even if they managed to get that key, I have the real one with me."

"Oh, quite cunning," Robin commented. When they arrived back at the room, Crocodile was greeted with the most infuriating sight his eyes had ever been forced to perceive. The room was flooded, but the door to the seastone cage was wide open. Mr. 3 was floating unconscious in the middle of the room. Attached to his shirt was a piece of paper that read, _See ya later, shitty gater. -Mr. Prince...p.s. What's our time?_ Robin looked down at her watch.

"14 minutes, 32 seconds," she said in a slightly awed tone. "And that's including the time interval between their departure and our arrival," she added analytically. Crocodile was barely listening though. The veins bulged in his forehead and the key in his hand dropped to the floor.

* * *

Chapter XL: Knocking on Heaven's Gates

On the way to find Cricket, the Strawhats and their guide had run into another monkey like man named Shoujou, who was introduced as Masira's brother. For obvious reasons, the Strawhats were not surprised by this, but a couple of them, namely Nami and Usopp, were wondering if they were just supposed to accept the existence of monkey human hybrids and move on. Not so surprisingly, that's what ended up happening.

When Masira and Shoujou led them to their destination, most of the Strawhats were taken aback by Cricket's house. That is, until they realized that it was a cardboard cutout of a mansion, at which point, they were even more baffled. The house seemed to be quite literally cut in half, with the other half being nowhere in sight. When asked why the house was like that, the Saruyama brothers replied that they honestly didn't know; it had been like that since they had arrived and they had never asked Cricket about it. At this point, Sanji was getting slightly frustrated. He could have sworn he'd heard the name Montblanc before, but he couldn't remember where. When he asked if this Cricket guy was famous, Masira and Shoujou's eyes lit up in recognition.

"You must be talking about Cricket's ancestor, Montblanc Norland! He was known by the world as a famous liar!" Hearing the description jogged Sanji's memory, and he recalled the tale of the man he had heard growing up in North Blue. The crew was surprised by this, seeing as they'd assumed he was born in East Blue. Sanji was not the suspicious type, but he couldn't help but sneak a subtle glance at Luffy and Zoro, and wasn't that surprised to see that neither of them had reacted to the revelation of his origins. Curious. Unknown to him, Robin, who was very much the suspicious type, had done much the same thing. The two didn't seem to notice, and the moment passed when attention shifted back to the Saruyama brothers, who explained the story of Montblanc Norland, and how he had died maintaining that the City of Gold must have sunken into the sea as a result of a severe earthquake.

"But I'm telling you, Norland wasn't a liar!" Masira shouted with passion once they finished recounting the tale. Shoujou quickly agreed with him, telling the Strawhats about everything that Cricket had found diving to the ocean floor. The two were very enthusiastic about proving the existence of the City of Gold.

"So is that why Cricket dives every day?" Usopp asked. "To prove his ancestor's innocence?"

"Actually, Cricket doesn't believe one way or another," Shoujou responded. "He says he does it because he wants to come to terms with his lineage. He says that whether or not Norland lied, he just wants to be sure one way or another."

"And we'll support him to the end no matter what happens!" Masira added. "I know it exists though! I can feel it in my bones!"

It was then that a figure emerged from the sea and climbed onto the island. Upon catching sight of the Strawhats, the man tensed up, but once he saw Masira and Shoujou, he visibly relaxed.

"What? You two brought guests? Who are these people?" the man who was presumably Cricket asked indifferently.

"Boss!" Masira shouted. "These guys are trying to get to Sky Island! Since they're good people, I thought we should help them!" This caused Cricket to raise an eyebrow as a ghost of a smile crossed his lips.

"Sky Island huh? What a bunch of fools...then again, I'm not really one to talk."

"So can you get us there?" Usopp asked hopefully. "We need to get there before our log adapts to this island."

"Well, I myself am not sure if it exists," Cricket replied. "But if it does, I know a way you can potentially get there." Cricket explained the natural disaster that was the knock-up stream, from its mechanics, to its frequency, to its tendency to occur in different parts of the ocean. "If you want to get to the sky, that's the way to do it. But if Sky Island really is just a legend, you will fall back to the sea and die," he said. "The key to this is timing. Above these seas there is a cloud called Millennium Cumulonimbus. It is, for all intents and purposes, a liquid cloud. The chemistry behind its formation is unknown since no one has been able to sample it, but what we do know is that it's a form of water less dense than air that retains the ability to support buoyant solids. This is the theory that accounts for the possibility of an island in the sky."

Luffy hummed. "So in other words, it's a-"

"Do not say mystery cloud," Nami interrupted.

"...I'm still gonna think it," Luffy said defiantly, before turning to Cricket. "Hey, Diamond-head-ossan, did you say this knock up stream happens in different parts of the sea?" Cricket nodded in confirmation, and Luffy leaned back against the ground, getting comfortable. "And how powerful is it?"

"Like I said, it's a natural disaster," Cricket said. "But it's more powerful than almost any earthquake. You'd be knocking on the door to the heavens if you actually plan on riding it."

Luffy smirked. "So let's say, one day, the knock up stream happened to occur underneath the island of Jaya…like, I don't know, maybe 400 years ago?"

Cricket's cigarette dropped from his mouth as he heard those words. His eyes were wide, and his entire body was tensed up. Around him, the entire room was silent as the rest of its occupants absorbed the implied meaning behind the words. Cricket himself was speechless. "Holy…" he trailed off, and raised a hand to his head. "That's...quite the theory kid." He paused for a moment. "For so long, I've been searching the ocean floor. All this time, I never even thought…and it explains so much. Why I never even found a trace of the other half of the island. Why the sky completely darkens under the Millennium Cumulonimbus. Even why this damn house that I found was cut in half!"

The Strawhats were looking at their captain in surprise. There it was, another of his amazing insights coming out of left field. Could what he was implying really be true?

"Wait a minute!" Nami yelled suddenly. "If Luffy's theory is true, that means there's a city full of gold where we're going!"

Luffy sweatdropped. "Well, yea…"

Nami's eyes morphed into beli symbols as the other Stawhats watched in exasperation.

"Why did Nami's eyes change?" Chopper asked innocently.

"Because the eyes reflect the soul, and Nami is really greedy," Usopp replied, only to get kicked by Sanji. Robin giggled in amusement as the two started bickering.

"Well this works out perfectly," Luffy said suddenly. "Diamond-head-ossan, if you show us the way to Sky Island, we'll find a way to signal you if we find the City of Gold."

Cricket's face now morphed into a wide grin. "Well aren't you the thoughtful one? Even after I already agreed to get you there. Fine, you've got a deal kid. Wait here." He walked into the house, and after a short while, came back out with a small gold ornament in his hand. It looked just like a bell made of pure gold. "This is one of the many pieces of evidence I found on my trips to the ocean floor. In Norland's log, he mentioned a giant golden bell, the ringing of which would echo throughout the seas. If you find the city of gold, ring that bell, and we should be able to hear it even from down here. That'll be all the proof I need."

"A golden bell huh?" Luffy said, reminiscing. "Sounds interesting. I'll be sure to ring it!" The two shook hands, and the agreement was set.

After that Cricket went through the details of the plan to get them to their destination. The knockup stream would connect the sea to the sky at noon the next day. Until then, they Saruyama brothers would work on remodeling their ship so it could reach the sky, and then at morning they'd set sail and position their ship above he knockup stream, directly south of Jaya. At that point, Zoro spoke up.

"How are we going to get there though?" he asked. "The log can't take us to a destination without a magnetic field." Cricket perked up in realization upon hearing this, and told them to wait while he ran into the house again. Meanwhile, the other Strawhats excluding Luffy and Robin were giving Zoro a wide berth. Zoro looked puzzled by their behavior.

"What?" he asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"You...you're thinking ahead when it comes to _navigation_ now?" Nami asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't have guessed that you knew how a regular compass works, much less a log pose," Usopp mused.

"What have you done with that shitty swordsman?" Sanji mumbled.

"Give Zoro back you asshole!" Chopper shouted.

Zoro began sputtering indignantly. "Of course I...I'm not...I mean I _am..._!"

Sanji peered at Zoro closely. "His aura feels like the shitty marimo. Then again, I'm still pretty new at this…"

"I'm _not_ the shitty marimo!" Zoro shouted, annoyed that his nickname from his previous life seemed to be catching on again somehow.

Usopp pointed at Zoro in accusation. "Aha! A confession! So you really aren't Zoro!"

Zoro turned to Usopp menacingly, causing him to gulp in fear. "Usopp," he said in a low tone. "One more word, and I'm going to cut off your defining appendage." The other male Strawhats paled upon hearing this, but none more than the sniper himself, who fell back onto the grass and covered his face with his hands.

"No! Not the nose! Anything but that!" Now the crew looked at Usopp in equal parts bewilderment and amusement.

"Usopp," Sanji said carefully, his lips quirking into a barely restrained smile. "I don't think that's what he-"

"Zoro!" Chopper shouted in interruption. "How could you threaten to cut off Usopp's nose! Are you really an imposter!?"

Zoro groaned, while Nami and Robin failed to suppress their laughter, and Luffy didn't even try.

Cricket, who had already gotten back, cleared his throat. "If you're done…" The laughter slowly died down and Luffy nodded at Cricket. "Alright then. This is what's called a southbird," the man said, holding up a golden model of a rather odd bird. "They have the ingrained instinctual habit of always pointing their heads to the south. You need to capture one of these so it can guide you to the knock up stream. They can be found in the forests of Jaya."

With a plan finally in mind, the Strawhats made their way into the forest to find a southbird while Masira and Shoujou got to work on the Going Merry. This time tomorrow, they'd be knocking on heaven's gates one way or another.

* * *

Ace twitched in agitation as another haki imbued sword slash assaulted him, only to phase through his body again as the injured vice admiral's armaments was cancelled out by his own. "Like I said..." he muttered in annoyance in between swipes. "I'm not here..." he charged up a fire first in less than a second, and unleashed it onto the outmatched marine. "_To pick a fight!_" His actions seemed to contradict his words in that moment as the charred form of Vice Admiral Comil crashed through the walls of the marine branch that Ace had infiltrated. He didn't get up this time. "What an annoying bastard," Ace muttered. "Then again, I'm not much better. _Go to the G2 branch_ I said. _They could have intel on the revolutionaries_ I said. _They might not even recognize me _I said. Seriously, when did I start acting like Luffy?"

He sat down on the floor to think for a minute, wondering how he was going to find who he was looking for, and what he was going to do when he did. He thought back to what Luffy had told him in Alabasta. _He won't remember you right away. You'll have to jog his memories. _Well, how was he supposed to do that? He doubted it would be as simple as saying, 'Hey, it's me Ace, your long lost brother. Hurry up and remember!' He sighed. This was all becoming very troublesome. At least Luffy's journey was going well, highest bounty among the rookies of his generation and all...

Suddenly, Ace's head perked up as he felt a powerful aura approaching. It was much stronger than the vice admiral's. In fact...it rivaled his own. Who did the marines send? He could have sworn he cut off their communications once they caught wind of his infiltration. He slowly got up and made his way out of the ruined building, ignoring the unconscious marines everywhere, and prepared himself for a fight. When he got outside, what he saw surprised him. There was a lone man in a hooded black cloak walking towards him, but his intentions didn't seem to be hostile. In fact, he seemed...curious? Relaxing his guard slightly, Ace met him halfway. "If you're here to harass the marines, I'm afraid I may have beaten you to it, revolutionary."

The man under the hood chuckled in good nature. "No...that's not why I'm here. I just heard you were looking for us, and my curiosity got the better of me."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "You're well informed. I actually have a connection to someone in your ranks, and I was hoping to find them."

"Usually we'd know if one of our members was acquainted with a Whitebeard commander, but I suppose I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," the revolutionary said.

Ace grinned sheepishly. "So you know who I am. At least introduce yourself then. Or should I just call you Hood-and-cloak guy?"

"Ah, my apologies." He removed his hood, and Ace's eyes widened to epic proportions. "I am Sabo, the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff."

Ace's mind went blank for a moment, then...

_What the actual fuck?_

* * *

A/N: Yep, just gonna leave you hangin' off that cliff for now. Have fun and don't fall! Lost out.


	41. None Shall Pass

Welcome back everyone! I finally hit a thousand reviews, which is an honorable landmark for any writer on this site. So thanks again for your continued interests. Enjoy the next chapter of the Skypeia saga.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XLI: None Shall Pass

Sabo sat across from Firefist - no, Ace, he reminded himself - in silent contemplation. He had a lot to take in. From being told stories of his past that he he himself didn't remember, to finding out he had two brothers...not by blood, but what did that matter when none of his greater connections in life were not blood related to begin with? Just the fact that he had family, whether by blood or otherwise, was more than he could have claimed waking up in the morning. At first he was hard pressed to believe everything he was being told, but it soon became evident that Ace knew too much about the circumstances of his incident. He knew he had lost his memories off the coast of Dawn Island. He knew he'd been shipwrecked by the Celestial Dragons, information which only the boss and some higher ups of the Revolutionary Army knew. But above all, Sabo knew that the look of shock, nostalgia, and happiness that finally settled onto Ace's face upon seeing his own had not been faked.

Not a day normally went by when Sabo didn't think about his life before that incident. Now, he had some idea of what it had been like. He had been conceived by nobles - oh, the irony - but had grown to despise the suffocating lifestyle. He had met Ace in the Grey Terminal, and they had dreamed of becoming pirates together. Later on they had met a boy named Luffy, and eventually the three of them would become brothers through spilling blood sweat and tears together. They had even exchanged cups of sake. Even though he couldn't remember it, these thoughts brought a warm feeling to his stomach that he couldn't quite explain. It was as if his unconscious mind remembered...which, come to think of it, it probably did. He was no expert on amnesia though.

Ace was giving him space, which he was grateful for, but he could tell that the only thing the guy wanted to do at this moment was envelop him in a bone crushing hug. From what he'd been told, he couldn't really blame him. If he had lived for 10 years thinking his brother was dead only to later find out that he was alive, he would be feeling sentimental too. But for the life of him, he just couldn't _remember_. No matter how much his thoughts would attempt to penetrate though the sea of blackness that haunted his dreams, he could not recall anything prior to the suffocating murky depths.

He was starting to think that an inability to breath, whether literal or metaphorical, had been a defining trait of his previous life.

"Ace?" he spoke up. The flameman's head perked up at the sound of his voice breaking the silence. "I'm glad I met you," Sabo said. "But I need time to adjust. And I don't think I can be a pirate...not now."

Ace flashed him a grin. "Whatever you decide is fine with me, Sabo. I'm just glad to have you back, even if you can't remember it all. Take all the time you need."

Sabo grinned back. "Actually, there is one thing I'd like to ask."

"Anything," Ace replied.

"Do you think I could meet Luffy?"

* * *

"What the _hell_ is wrong with this bird?" Nami screeched in frustration as she ran from the forest's abnormal wildlife. The hunt for the southbird was going smoothly…at least that's what Luffy would say. Said rubber man was currently using his haki to tame any animal that he found interesting while he left the rest of the crew to their own devices. If Nami wasn't so busy running away from giant centipedes, she'd be giving him a piece of her mind right about now. What was so funny anyway? Wasn't it enough that she had a goddamn bird laughing at her? Why did Luffy have to join in?

Robin was faring better, watching in amusement as everything unfolded from atop a high branch of a tree she had cleverly scaled with her powers. Of course, if it looked like anyone was going to get hurt, she was ready to intervene, but somehow, she didn't feel the need at the moment. It was just so _funny_.

The southbird had ambushed them. There was no other way to explain their current predicament. She was mildly curious to know how smart such birds would have to be to have known they were coming and prepared for them. She giggled as Usopp scrambled up a tree himself in a panic as he was chased by a man sized praying mantis. He may not have her devil fruit ability, but no one could tell him he wasn't a good climber.

Sanji seemed to be the only one actually fighting right now, content in protecting Nami from the animals that were assaulting her. Robin noted with interest that he visibly cringed every time he kicked a giant insect. Was he afraid of bugs? If he was, it seemed he was too devoted to his chivalrous ways to care at the moment.

Chopper was the only one the various animals _weren't_ trying to attack. Robin guessed that they probably viewed humans as hostile but didn't consider a talking bipedal reindeer a threat. The reindeer was attempting to convince them not to harm the crew, but his pleas were being for the most part ignored.

Every once in awhile one of them would sneak up behind Zoro, who was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. But then he would shoot them a glare and they would scurry away to find a less intimidating target.

"Cho!" came the familiar yet strange call of the southbird, which Robin instinctively knew was mocking them all. She looked out at the sun through the trees and noted that it was setting. Seeing as they had a deadline, it was probably intervention time. She closed her eyes and focused on the area that the bird call had originated from, and sprouted two eyes on a nearby tree. Seeing the bird, she sprouted two arms around its body and gripped it before pushing it out of the tree. It fell onto the ground below with a thud, struggling and cursing loudly in bird language all the while.

Robin jumped down from the tree and calmly walked over to the bird before picking it up. It glared at her, and she smiled apologetically back at it. "Captain-san!" she called out. Luffy looked up from the mantis that was being compelled to shake his hand. "The sun is getting low. We might want to report back to Cricket-san soon."

Luffy pouted, but nonetheless nodded his head before releasing his haki. Immediately all of the animals that he hadn't tamed dropped like rocks into unconsciousness. Zoro yawned and got up, stretching his limbs. "So quiet," he commented. "Is it time to go?"

"Yeah, they've had their fun. But we came here for a reason," Luffy said with an infuriating smile. Nami walked up to him and predictably bonked him over the head before grabbing him by the collar and shaking him angrily.

"Why didn't you do that earlier, stupid captain!?"

"Because Nami! It's training! Survival trai-" he was cut off as her fist made contact with his head again and he plummeted to the ground.

* * *

When the Strawhats arrived back at Cricket's home, they were in equal parts impressed and puzzled by the new appearance of the Going Merry?

"Is it supposed to be a chicken?" Chopper asked in confusion.

"Who knows?" Usopp replied. "But Merry is still Merry. If she can fly now, I'm not complaining."

As it turned out, they still had a few hours to kill before they had to set sail for the knockup stream, so they ended up spending the morning partying. When Luffy noticed that the southbird was pouting inside its cage, he walked up to it and said he'd let it out if it promised not to fly away. Much to everyone's surprise, it agreed, and much to their chagrin, Luffy, the ever trusting buffoon, let him out. Robin was resignedly prepared to catch it again, but was surprised when it stayed put. Chopper asked why it was so cooperative now, to which the bird vaguely responded that it had been listening to their plans and had its own reasons for wanting to find Sky Island. Whatever that meant.

As noon approached, the Strawhats got ready for their departure. Once they packed everything onto the Going Merry, they raised anchor.

"Hey kid!" Cricket shouted from ground level. "Don't go falling out of the sky now!" Luffy grinned and flashed him a thumbs up in acknowledgement.

* * *

"Why is this whirlpool so big!?" Nami and Usopp shouted fearfully. The false night had already fallen, and they were currently getting sucked into the biggest whirlpool that could be found in the first half of the Grand Line. The only ones who seemed unperturbed by this were the monster trio and Robin. While Luffy and Zoro knew what was going to happen, Sanji was simply too busy comforting Nami (who wasn't paying attention to him) and Robin (who didn't need comforting) to care. And Robin...well, she was Robin.

Soon the whirlpool disappeared completely, leaving most of the Strawhats dumbfounded. After about 30 seconds, they were wondering whether they were in the wrong place. After another 10 seconds, they were retracting that doubt as they were violently blasted off of the surface of the ocean by the monstrous current.

It was quite the experience, even for those who had lived through it before. But soon, the ship started to slip from the vertical current, which was pointed out by a slightly distressed Sanji. Nami soon proved herself as their navigator, however, telling them to unfurl the sails so they could catch the rising wind and ride it up the stream the rest of the way. It wasn't long before they finally ascended through the surface of the clouds.

* * *

Most of the Strawhats were sprawled out across the deck. Luffy was the only devil fruit user who had managed to keep his footing despite having been momentarily sapped of his strength. Zoro and Sanji had also kept upright, so the three of them walked around and helped the rest of the crew regain their bearings. After everyone had recovered, they took a look around, and were shocked beyond belief.

"It's...amazing!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Beautiful," Robin agreed.

"We really are floating on the clouds," Sanji commented. "How is that possible?"

Luffy glanced at him quizzically. "Of course we can float on them...they're just clouds," he reasoned. Nami shot him a mild glare.

"I think you need to get your facts straight," she mumbled, to which Luffy smiled innocently.

"Do I really though? Take a look around you," he said in a smug tone that didn't match his expression, causing Nami's eye to twitch in the way it often did.

"So then," she said in annoyance. "That makes this the sea of the sky. Cricket-san said that it was less dense than air, like a cloud, but could support buoyant objects, like the sea. That explains how our ship is floating on it. My question is, how could it support an _island_?"

Robin hummed in thought. "One with a magnetic field no less. It does seem bizarre. Perhaps there is another natural formation holding the other half of Jaya up?"

"Another formation?" Nami questioned. "What do you mean?"

"I'd imagine it's like a ship and its cargo," Robin reasoned. "Be it passengers or supplies, ships are designed to carry things that wouldn't normally float over the water safely." Although it seemed she was stating the obvious, the rest of the Strawhats soon caught on to her analogy.

"So then the island is the cargo," Nami stated. "And the ship is something solid enough to support an island like Jaya, and either light or buoyant enough to float on the sea of the sky."

"That would be my guess," Robin confirmed.

"Nami-san and Robin-chan are so incredibly smart!" Sanji swooned.

"So...it's a mystery ship!" Luffy concluded happily.

"Navigator-san, perhaps you should check the log pose," Robin suggested. "We still don't know which direction we're headed from here."

Nami looked down at the log and was shocked. "It's still pointing up!" she exclaimed. "Does that mean we need to go higher?"

"That would mean there is another layer of Millennium Cumulonimbus cloud above this one," the archaeologist stated calmly. "The only question is, how do we get higher?"

"You guys need to lighten up!" Usopp shouted. "Enjoy the adventure and we'll figure it out as we go! I for one, am looking forward to going for a swim in the sea of the sky!"

Luffy instantly grew serious hearing that. "Usopp, don't do that," he said in a surprisingly stern voice.

"He's probably right," Sanji stated. "We still don't know much about this sea. It's best not to fool around."

"Oh come on! A sea is a sea!" the sniper insisted, leaning over the railing to get a better look. Before he could go any farther, however, Luffy pulled him back. "Hey! What's your problem, Luffy?" he whined.

"Usopp," Zoro spoke up, "How far are you planning to swim?"

"How far?" Usopp shrugged. "I just wanted to see if I could touch the bottom. I can hold my breath really well, so it shouldn't be a…"

"Bottom?" Zoro repeated.

There was silence for a moment as the Strawhats' caught on and their eyes widened. Usopp gradually grew pale and started sweating, and Chopper screamed in panic. "Usopp, don't swim! Please don't swim!" he cried.

Nami smacked Usopp upside the head. "You idiot! You could have fallen right out of the sky! This is why we need to gather information first!" she shouted.

Usopp went into a corner to brood. "Sky Island is scary…" he muttered quietly.

Suddenly a loud splash of water was heard, and the Strawhats turned to see a large, purple, eel like creature advancing toward the ship.

"Sky Island is scary!" Usopp repeated loudly.

After Sanji knocked out the sea monster, or rather the sky monster, it coughed up a small, oddly shaped fish. Robin walked over and picked it up. "So then this is a skyfish? It seems that since there is no seafloor here and the sea cloud is much less dense than water, they must have undergone various adaptations to survive." As she was speaking, Luffy came over and grabbed the fish out of her hands. Robin, assuming he wanted to observe it, said nothing. Moments later, he was eating it out of a plate happily.

"I sauteed it," Sanji stated absently.

"We weren't done looking at it yet!" Nami shouted in aggravation, although Robin didn't seem to mind much.

Meanwhile, Chopper was staring out at the expanse of cloud through binoculars. "It's so white…" he said dreamily, catching Luffy's attention.

"See anything Chopper?" Luffy asked with a grin.

"Yea! There's another ship!" Chopper reported eagerly. "And...a person?"

Luffy watched as Chopper gradually paled, then started panicking. "Aaaauuughh! He blew up the ship!" he shouted, dropping the binoculars and running around the deck frantically.

"Chopper, what's wrong?" Usopp asked, having broken out of his depressed stupor.

"There's someone coming! He's gonna sink our ship!" the reindeer said in distress. The Strawhats looked out over the sea cloud and saw that there was indeed someone riding towards them on what looked like...skates?

Luffy thought back. _That's...the bazooka guy. Wiper I think._

As the Shandian landed on the deck of the Going Merry, Luffy let loose a liberal blast of haki. He could see Wiper's eyes narrow under his mask, indicating that he had noticed the mental assault, but he seemed unfazed by the unidentified attack.

"Your mind games have no effect, Blue Sea dweller! I shall reject you!" He swung his bazooka at Luffy, who leapt to the side to avoid it, and then made a beeline for Sanji, who blocked his kick with his leg. The chef was pushed back though, and had to catch himself by doing a backflip to regain his balance. Seeing him gasp for breath, Luffy and Zoro remembered that it was everyone's first time in the thin air. Sanji would normally be up to the task, but he was struggling to keep up. They were getting ready to intervene when they heard a shout from the distance.

"That's quite enough!" the weird knight that Luffy identified as Gan Fall shouted, aiming his spear at the Shandian. The spear was blocked by his shield, but Wiper, realizing he was outnumbered, took his leave and disappeared over the clouds again.

"Who the hell was that?" Nami asked, before turning to Sanji. "And what's with you?"

"Sorry Nami-san," Sanji said, recovering his breath. "My body feels weak for some reason."

"It must be because of the low air pressure up here," Robin surmised.

"Ah, you must be residents of the Blue Sea then," Gan Fall stated.

"Blue Sea? Who are you old man?" Usopp asked.

"Ah, forgive me. I am Gan Fall, the Knight of the Sky, and this is my partner, Pierre. Those who are born below the clouds are called Blue Sea dwellers."

"That would apply to us then," Zoro confirmed.

"It can't be helped then. This is the White Sea, 7000 meters above the Blue Sea. Above us still is the White White Sea, 3000 meters higher. It will take a while for your bodies to adjust to the atmosphere.

Sanji got up from his seated position. "No problem. I think I'm getting used to it now," he stated, throwing a few experimental kicks at the air.

"No, no, I'm afraid that's not possible," Gan Fall said. "It takes more time than that to grow accustomed…"

"Ah, don't worry about it old guy!" Luffy assured. "If we can handle the knock-up stream, we can handle some thin air!"

Gan Fall's eyes widened comically. "The - the knock-up stream!? You mean to tell me you actually arrived here on that monstrous current!? To think there would still be some brave enough to make that venture…"

Nami was growing more teary eyed with every word. "I knew that couldn't be the normal route! Luffy! If we had just gathered more information, we could have gone the safe way! I blame you!"

Luffy scratched his head. "Does it matter? We're here anyway, right?"

"Have you lost any of your crew?" Gan Fall asked.

Luffy's body went completely rigid hearing that question. "No." he said in a neutral voice, a little quieter than usual. But the only ones who noticed his behavior were Zoro, who closed his eyes, and Robin, who's eyes widened slightly.

"I see," Gan Fall said. "The other routes would not have been so forgiving. The knock-up stream is a life or death gamble. Either everyone lives, or everyone dies. Many do not have the heart to make that gamble these days. Those who do, I view as the most courageous of sailors." He sighed in resignation. "Be that as it may, I fear you all have come at a bad time. You will most likely not be welcome here with open arms."

"We're kind of used to that," Luffy said. "We're pirates."

"Pirates?" Gan Fall asked. "How nostalgic. Nevertheless, I fear for your safety. This land has not taken well to visitors recently, ever since…" he trailed off. Luffy's brow furrowed. That was...different. Ever since what?

But Gan Fall didn't elaborate, choosing instead to drop a whistle onto the deck. "This is a service. Blow the whistle once, and I will come to your aid. After that, each blow will cost you 50 million extol. I have to make a living, you know."

"Extol, what is that?" Nami asked.

"Extol are the currency of the sky islands. You Blue Sea dwellers use Berry, correct? I believe 1 Berry is worth 10,000 extol. If that is all, I will take my leave. Best of luck to you all."

After the revelation that his bird was a devil fruit user and could turn into a bird/horse hybrid that looked a lot like a pink pegasus, the Strawhats were left in the middle of the White Sea. They soon decided to head towards a waterfall that they saw in the distance. They sailed under a sign labeled Heaven's Gate, and were soon surrounded by large bundles of cloud on all sides. Luffy stretched his arm out and commented that they were solid, which led to him, Usopp, and Chopper taking a detour to bounce around excitedly on the dream-like substance.

They sailed under a waterfall and were met by a short old woman with what appeared to be a camera. "Hello there, may I ask where you are from and what your business in Skypeia is?" she asked.

"We're from the Blue Sea," Usopp said. "And...I guess you could say we're sightseeing."

"Oh, I see. In that case, none of you are permitted to enter," she stated with a neutral expression.

There was silence for a moment, before her statement registered.

_The fuck?_

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the relatively long wait. I've been pretty busy keeping up with schoolwork this semester, and as a result I haven't had as much time to spare. It didn't help that this chapter was kind of hard to write. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time!


	42. Divine Logic

Last time on Second Wind!

Amazon: None shall pass.

Strawhats: What!

Amazon: None shall pass!

Sanji: I have no quarrel with you Madam, but we must cross this cloud!

Amazon: Then you shall _die_.

Luffy: I command you, as captain of the Strawhats, to stand aside!

Amazon: I move...for no man.

Zoro: So be it! (Draws sword)

Ok, that didn't really happen, but I'll bet you wish it did, if only for the nostalgic feels. Onto the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

* * *

Chapter XLII: Divine Logic

"What do you mean we can't enter? We came all this way!" Usopp reasoned. "We can't just turn back now!"

"Be that at it may, the Almighty God Enel has decreed that Blue Sea dwellers are no longer permitted to enter White White Sea. His word is law."

"God Enel?" Nami repeated. "Who's he? The ruler of Skypiea?"

"He is as He sounds," the old lady replied, still showing no trace of emotion. "God."

Most of the Strawhats blinked. God, as in _the_ God?

"You mean God lives here!?" Chopper asked in shock.

"I guess that would kind of make sense, since this is Heaven, right?" Usopp mused.

"No, that makes no sense at all," Sanji grunted.

"Whether or not it makes sense, the fact remains that we're not allowed to enter. Seems problematic doesn't it?" Robin commented.

"Does it matter?" Luffy asked lazily. "We're pirates, so why should we obey the law?"

Nami slapped her forehead. "It's not that simple Luffy! We don't even know how to get there without help, so how can we-"

"No, he is correct," the old lady stated, causing the Strawhats to look at her in confusion. "While the word of God is law, I am neither a Priest nor an Enforcer. Therefore if you insist on entering, I will not stop you."

Usopp still looked confused, but slightly hopeful. "So...you'll show us the way then?" he asked.

"That is correct," she replied.

Luffy smiled as if it should have been obvious. "See? Simple."

Nami looked dismayed. Inwardly, she ranted. _I should have known not to argue logic with a guy that defies logic in a place that defies logic!_

Robin giggled. "Don't be too easily fooled. All this means is that we can enter, but we'll be labeled criminals and hunted down by whatever law enforcement is active here," she surmised.

"Correct," the old lady said once again, showing emotion for the first time. She almost looked impressed. "You may either turn back, or I can take you to Angel Beach and you will be treated as a criminal from then on. The choice is yours."

"Easy choice," Luffy said. "Take us there, granny!" The indignant protests from some of the other Strawhats were cut off by Zoro.

"What are you all complaining about? We need to get to Skypiea for the log to set, so it's not like we can just turn back now. It's like Luffy said, we're pirates. We're used to being criminals anyway."

Nami sighed. "Still, it would have been nice to avoid that just this once," she bemoaned.

"So then...how do we get up?" Sanji asked curiously. Suddenly, the Going Merry rocked as if hit by a large wave. The Strawhats looked overboard and saw what appeared to be a giant shrimp holding onto the ship. They barely had time to question this before the ship was propelled forcefully up the windy path of sea cloud.

Amazon smirked. "To the Almighty God Enel, and the Priests who serve Him, seven illegal entrants have trespassed into the White White Sea. They now await Heaven's Judgement."

_Now then, the stage has been set. Enel's grip has weakened, and it will only take one more push for the sky to slip through his fingers. Will these Blue Sea dwellers bring his reign of tyranny to an end, or will they too fall victim to the Ordeals of Heaven?_

* * *

When the Strawhats reached the light at the end of the clouded tunnel, they gasped in awe at the scenery. They had wondered what Sky Island would look like, but this put their imaginations to shame.

"Amazing! It's like a tropical paradise!" Nami shouted in glee.

This caused Robin to frown. "Tropical?" she thought aloud.

"Something wrong, Robin-chan?" Sanji asked.

"I just thought of it now, but how can it be so warm up here?" Robin asked. "We are, after all, 10,000 meters above sea level. This place should by all rights be colder than the peaks of the highest mountains, and yet it is not only able to support entire civilizations of life, but actually has a tropical climate. How is that possible?"

"The same way the knock up stream forms underneath an island," Luffy said sagely. Robin turned to him curiously.

"I was wondering about that as well," she admitted. "It's not as if islands float on the sea after all."

Luffy desperately wanted to exclaim that it was a mystery island, but knew that while he was content in just enjoying the ride, Robin actually showed genuine interest in knowing and understanding these types of things. He rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Sorry Robin. I don't actually know. I was just saying that neither of them really make sense."

Robin blinked and smiled lightly. "Oh, I suppose I should have gathered that. I guess I'm just too curious."

Nami was giving serious thought to the question, but was broken out of her theorizing when Luffy shouted. "We've reached land!"

"It's...an angel!" Sanji shouted. Normally Nami would facepalm upon hearing this, but she had to admit that the exclamation had merit. The girl had wings, much like the old woman who had allowed them to enter. The fact that they were currently on a sky island made the concept of an angel _almost_ credible.

Said girl turned to them in surprise, but soon smiled. "Heso!" she greeted, confusing the Strawhats with the unfamiliar speech.

As it turned out, the girl, who introduced herself as Conis, and her father, who arrived shortly afterwards, were both inhabitants of Angel Island, which was the part of Skypeia they were currently in. Looking closely, they could see that the entire island was made of the same solid cloudy material that they had come across in the White Sea below, which Robin claimed must have been how Jaya would be able to float on it. It was supported by what Conis confirmed was called island cloud, while the island cloud floated on the White White Sea.

"I'm sorry," Conis' father, who had introduced himself as Pagaya interrupted, "But where is Jaya? I've never heard of such a place."

"Oh, sorry!" Nami said, realizing they were excluding Conis and her father from the conversation. Jaya is an island on the Blue Sea, where we came from."

Suddenly Conis turned pale and fell backwards onto the beach, causing many of the Strawhats to frown. Pagaya had a grave expression on his face.

"Conis-chan," Sanji said worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"You all," she gasped, "You're from the Blue Sea…?"

"That's right," Luffy said blankly, but inwardly he was wondering what was wrong. Conis hadn't reacted this way last time. Was it because of..._oh_.

Zoro turned toward Luffy. "The old lady did say we would be criminals from the get go," he reminded everyone. "Maybe we shouldn't be staying here. We might get Conis involved."

"You...entered illegally?" Pagaya asked. "But how...the milky road can't be traversed without the-"

"That old lady let us in," Usopp interrupted. "She said we could come, but we'd be treated as criminals. Maybe this was a bad idea in retrospect…"

Conis started panicking. "You have to leave here immediately! You're all in terrible danger!"

"Why? You guys haven't had visitors from the Blue Sea before?" Zoro asked calmly, despite knowing that wasn't the case.

"That is precisely the problem," Pagaya said. "Just recently a band of Blue Sea dwellers caused a lot of trouble here, causing God Enel to decree that none from the Blue Sea would be granted entrance to Skypiea any longer."

"What happened here? Who got him so mad?" Luffy asked, curious as to who could have rattled Enel's cage to the point where the usually uncaring Skypiean would become this opposed to having company.

"I'm sorry. It is forbidden to discuss that incident," Pagaya said. "You all must leave here before He takes notice of your presence. Otherwise, I fear for your safety."

"It's a bit late for that," Luffy said. "He's already noticed us."

Chopper turned to him in shock. "What? But how? We just arrived here!"

"Observation haki," Luffy said.

Sanji's eyes widened in shock. "How far away is this guy?" His own senses were getting stronger every day, but they barely stretched out passed the Going Merry unless he focused them.

"God Enel sees all," Conis said in a subdued voice. "If he already knows you're here, then there's no escape." She was visibly dismayed.

"But how?" Chopper asked fearfully. "What can he do if he's not even-"

He was interrupted by a sudden flash of lightning above their heads, which was accompanied by a loud clap of thunder. The lightning struck a nearby formation of island cloud, utterly destroying the less than durable substance and leaving Chopper gaping.

"Chopper," Usopp said in a false tone of serenity that somehow didn't belie his inner feelings. "Please shut up." Chopper nodded dumbly.

"A devil fruit and observation haki?" Sanji concluded. "Sounds like a troublesome bastard."

"He sucks at hiding his aura though," Luffy stated. "Even worse than me."

* * *

On God's Shrine, at the top of Giant Jack in Upper Yard, a certain lightning logia was deeply amused.

"Ahahahaha! What an impudent little mortal. But still, it's rare to see a Mantra user from the Blue Sea. I wonder, what it this aura he speaks of? Is it the same as what we call a voice? Well, no matter." He turned to his nearest servant. "Alert Captain McKinley and gather the remaining priests below. I want these sinners dealt with."

"Yes, Enel-sama."

* * *

Back on Angel Island, the Strawhats had decided that their vacation time was over. They asked Conis and Pagaya about Jaya, and they nervously responded that the only island that fit the description was Upper Yard, the island made entirely of vearth, which had arrived in the sky 400 years ago. Apparently it was God's land and they were forbidden to set foot there. When Nami stated that the island was their destination, they looked resigned, but didn't protest, which caused Robin to narrow her eyes. She was debating whether to voice her suspicions when what seemed to be the local law enforcement arrived...crawling on the ground quite conspicuously.

"You there!" called a voice from afar. The Strawhats turned to see a group of men in white berets. "You are the seven illegal entrants from the Blue Sea, correct?"

"Yep, that's us," Luffy said, causing Nami to yell at him in reproach.

"By word of the almighty God Enel, we, the White Berets, are here to cast Heaven's Judgement upon you! For the class 5 crime of illegal entry, you are to be stripped of all your money and belongings, and sentenced to cloud drifting!"

The Strawhats could feel the temperature in the immediate vicinity drop 10 degrees, and turned to wearily face Nami, whose face had darkened. The more observant of them noted that there was a cloud slowly forming over the heads of the White Berets.

"Could you repeat that?" Nami asked quietly.

Captain McKinley raised an eyebrow. "We are here to cast Heaven's Judgement upon you-"

"No, the part after that," Nami clarified.

"Ah, the penalty, of course. You are to be stripped of all your valuables and sentenced to-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," the navigator said, smiling sweetly. "Thunderbolt Tempo!"

A bolt of lightning struck down from the cloud that had already formed, eliciting screams from that White Berets, who had been bunched up together, as the electricity coursed through their bodies. They finally collapsed in an unconscious heap. Sanji had hearts in his eyes, and Luffy started laughing hysterically.

"Hahahaha! Nice one Nami!" the captain praised.

"Oh dear…" Pagaya said.

"You guys...what have you done?" Conis asked, pale as ice.

"What? They were going to take our money! It was self defense!" Nami proclaimed, causing her crewmates to snicker at the logic.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid the consequences for this transgression will not be as forgiving," Pagaya said gravely. "Incapacitating the White Berets is a class 2 crime."

"You fools!" McKinley shouted, having regained consciousness. "Are you trying to invoke the wrath of God Enel!? The White Berets are the most forgiving of God's enforcers! The rest will not hesitate to make you repent for your sins!"

Luffy scratched his head. "Ok then. What's the penalty for a class 2 crime?"

McKinley looked surprised that he was asking. "Well...you're to be taken to Upper Yard to face the Ordeals of the Priests…"

"Ok, take us there," Luffy said with a shrug. "We were going to go there anyway."

McKinley gaped at him.

* * *

"Holy, sit," a bald man with sunglasses said. The giant dog immediately stopped pounding the dead man who had fallen victim to the ordeals. "It seems we have news." Another tall man with a strange hairstyle and a permanent angry glare on his face walked up to him and started speaking. Ohm couldn't understand a word he was saying, however. "You poor soul," Ohm said. "Having to constantly be reminded to open your mouth when you speak. Were you not a Priest, I would personally act as your salvation and end your miserable existence."

Gedatsu's jaw dropped in shock. "How careless!" he exclaimed. "As I was saying, we have orders from God's Shrine. There were seven illegal entrants who have committed a class 2 crime. We are to deal with them once they arrive."

Ohm hummed. "More wretched souls that need saving. Very well. Let's go, Holy. We shall prepare the Ordeal of Iron." The dog obediently followed him into the underbrush on its hind legs.

* * *

"Luffy, are you sure this is a good idea?" Usopp asked nervously as he watched the giant lobster grab hold of the ship again.

"Nope, but it should be fun! Now let's go!"

"So let me get this straight. God wants to kill us, and we're just going to march right into his home so he'll have an easier time?" Nami asked.

"City of gold," was all Luffy said in response.

Nami's eyes turned to Belly signs as she pumped her fist into the air. "Onward to Jaya!" she shouted as the ship started moving towards Upper Yard.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, I know. I originally planned on stopping here the last time, but I had more work to do so I decided to split it up. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.


	43. Ordeals, War Meetings, and Bonfires

Welcome back everyone, and enjoy chapter 43.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XLIII: Ordeals, War Meetings, and Bonfires

When the Strawhats arrived at Upper Yard, they were taken aback by the size of the wildlife. It seemed that plants and animals alike on the displaced half of Jaya had evolved drastically in the past 400 years.

They didn't have much time to ponder that, though, as their ship was soon deposited on what appeared to be some sort of altar.

"If Heaven's Judgment is just to leave us here with no way to get to land, I'm not impressed," Sanji commented, standing at the edge of the steps and staring out at the sea cloud. "I can already think of five ways to get out of here." Suddenly, an oddly shaped shark surfaced from the depths and lunged at him, forcing him to jump backwards onto higher ground. "Make that four," he corrected.

"The easiest way is probably to use those," Zoro said, pointing to the vines hanging from the trees above the altar.

Nami hummed in thought. "I have a better idea. Luffy, tame those sky sharks with your Haki and have them give us a ride across!" she shouted triumphantly.

"Nami-san's a genius!" Sanji declared.

"You can do that if you want," Luffy said nonchalantly. "I'm gonna swing from the vines."

Nami looked at him quizzically. "Why? You're a Devil Fruit user. I'm not going to help you if you fall in!"

"If I fall I can just use _Geppo_. Not that I will. And besides, swinging from a vine is also part of a man's romance."

Nami palmed her forehead in frustration as Zoro and Usopp nodded sagely. _Not this shit again!_

Luffy grabbed onto the vine and cleared his throat, before swinging across and letting out a yell. "Ahhhh - ahhhhhh - ahhhhhh!"

"What was that supposed to be? A call of the wild?" Nami muttered, before walking up to the vine. She stopped in her tracks when she saw how high it was, and how many sky sharks there were below. While she was debating whether or not to make the swing, Zoro spoke up.

"We should probably split up. The ship will be in danger if we leave it unattended. Usopp and the Cook, you guys can stay here in case one of those priests we heard about shows up. The rest of us will go looking for the City of Gold. Usopp, try to repair the Merry as much as you can. She's probably taken some damage on the way here," he said. Usopp saluted, before rushing below deck to get some supplies. Zoro turned to Sanji. "And Cook—"

"Yeah, yeah, kick the crap out of whoever comes. I got it," Sanji said.

"You do that." Finally, he turned to Robin, Nami, and Chopper. "You two should probably come with us. We have enough members here."

"All right! Let's find some gold!" Nami agreed easily.

"That works for me. I'd very much like to see what sort of history this island harbors," Robin said thoughtfully. With that, the three of them swung across the vine one by one, Zoro echoing Luffy's call of the wild in the process.

* * *

In God's Shrine, atop Giant Jack, three men were gathered together, in the middle of a heated argument.

"You poor delusional souls. Actually believing that your petty trials can compare to my Ordeal of Iron," Ohm said condescendingly.

"You're the one who's delusional!" Satori exclaimed. "The only reason your ordeal has a higher mortality rate is because it bores your victims to death!"

Gedatsu attempted to provide his own input in the conversation, but no one could understand him because he once again had his mouth closed.

"Open your mouth when you talk, you dimwit!" Satori yelled.

"How careless!" Gedatsu said in shock.

"It's not carelessness! It's stupidity, plain and simple!"

"Enough of this nonsense! Do not forget that this is the place where God resides!" Chief Enforcer Yama scolded. "Stop making fools of yourselves!"

"Where God resides?" Ohm repeated. "So then, where is God exactly?"

"Everywhere," came a voice out of nowhere, startling the priests. They were suddenly shocked by a mild electric current that ran through the air, stopping when it reached the nearby throne and materializing in the form of a man. That man was easily recognizable as God Enel.

"Ahahaha! Your mantras still need work! Unless you can keep them active even in the middle of your petty squabbles, you won't be able to sense my approach."

"Did you call us here just to tell us that?" Ohm asked lazily.

"Actually, the main reason is that I was bored. But there is something I wanted to discuss with you. Are you aware that seven Blue Sea dwellers are on Upper Yard as we speak?"

"Yama told us about it," Ohm answered. "So, I assume you called us here to take care of them?"

"Partially. As of now, they've split up. Their ship is still at the sacrificial altar, so I'm sending one of you to bestow Heaven's Judgment upon the two of them. The remaining five can be dealt with during the survival game I'm planning."

"Survival game?" Satori asked curiously.

"That's right. A survival game. Between my forces, the Shandians, and the Blue Sea dwellers. I myself will be participating. The reason for this is, of course, because the Maxim is almost completed. So, starting tomorrow, your boundaries in Upper Yard are to be abolished. You are free to do as you wish. After that, we'll depart. To the dream world."

"So then, which of us will go to the altar?" Gedatsu asked.

"Decide amongst yourselves," Enel answered. "Play rock-paper-scissors if you have to." The priests looked at each other and shrugged before holding their fists out. "Oh, and one more thing. Be careful not to die while fighting the Blue Sea dwellers. There's something about them that I can't quite place. Two of them have slightly similar voices to one of the other Blue Sea intruders who faced Shura's Ordeal of String not too long ago. Of course, they're no threat to God, but do be careful, won't you?" He took a bite out of his apple.

"After all, it would be most troublesome if we lost another priest."

* * *

In a certain village hidden amongst a vast array of island cloud, a little girl scurried through, attempting not to be sighted. It was the hideout of the remaining Shandians, the tribe of people who had been living on Jaya when it was blasted into the sky. The little Shandian girl looked down at the bag in her hands and smiled in satisfaction before starting to run again.

"Where have you been?" a voice spoke out, startling her enough that she tripped and fell over.

"Ka-Kamakiri!"

"You went to Upper Yard to get vearth again, didn't you, Aisa? You're going to wind up dead at this rate."

"So are you!" the girl named Aisa yelled, sticking her tongue out childishly. "Everyone knows you can't beat Enel!"

Kamakiri narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to yelp and run away. "Little punk…" he muttered.

Aisa arrived at the center of the clearing, where there was a war meeting being led by the Shandian chief and the most influential of their warriors. It was the latter of those two that had a tendency to terrify her. The War Demon, Wiper. She focused intently on what they were saying inside.

"As the Knight of the Sky, Gan Fall has never lifted a hand against us," a voice that sounded distinctly like Laki stated. "In fact, as of now, he has been the only one of the Skypieans opposing Enel head-on. You said yourself that he was aiding Blue Sea dwellers, didn't you?"

"Great. If we're lucky, he and the priests will kill each other," Wiper said in disinterest.

"That's not the point! I'm saying that we share a common enemy in this war!" Laki tried to reason.

"So what? Are you saying the enemy of our enemy is our friend? Grow up! The second Enel falls from power, he'll attempt to take back Upper Yard for the Skypieans! Whether it's Gan Fall, Enel's enforcers, or the Blue Sea dwellers, we'll take them all down!"

Aisa gulped when she heard the anger in his voice. He was always angry. Why was he always so angry?

"Aisa."

Aisa tripped and fell over herself again, before turning and glaring at Braham. "Why do you guys always do that!?" she yelled.

"I wouldn't eavesdrop right now," the Shandian gunman advised. "Wiper's in a bad mood."

"Isn't he always?" Aisa muttered.

Braham smiled. "Point taken. But he's especially high-strung about the Blue Sea dwellers that have just arrived."

"Is it that big a deal?" Aisa asked. "They're just Blue Sea dwellers."

Braham raised an eyebrow. "And are you forgetting what happened the _last_ time Blue Sea dwellers set foot on Upper Yard?" he asked rhetorically.

Aisa visibly shivered. "No…" she admitted. She could never forget. It was hard to forget the most terrifying voice she had ever heard.

It was hard to forget a voice more terrifying than God's.

* * *

"Hey, Nami!" Luffy called from one of the lower branches of a tree. "Look what I found! It's old man Cricket's house!"

Nami's eyes widened. "What?" With Robin's help, she was able to make it to the same branch Luffy was on to get a better vantage point. She gasped. "You're right! That's the other half of the house we saw. Well, there's our irrefutable proof of your theory. But how did you even know? It doesn't seem like you to think of something like that."

"Maybe I'm just smarter than I let on," Luffy replied.

"Or maybe you're just too lazy to think most of the time," Nami suggested as she surveyed their surroundings from atop the branch.

"Hey, thinking is hard!"

"Case in point," she said, finishing the rough outline of the map she was drawing. "All right guys, take a look." Luffy, Zoro, and Robin looked over her shoulder. They had decided early on that if they wanted to find the City of Gold, they would have to orient themselves. "This is where the Going Merry is," she said, pointing to the altar. "And this is where we are right now. In his logbook, Noland said that he found the City of Gold 'in the skull's right eye. That's here," she said, putting the individual maps of Jaya and Skypiea together to form a skull. "That means that we need to go directly South of here. First, though, let's get back to the Merry. It's getting dark out, so we should wait until tomorrow to make the trip."

"Sounds like a plan," Luffy said. "And if God tries to stop us, we'll just kick his ass along the way!"

* * *

"I am Satori! I am here to judge you, oh despicable sinners!"

Sanji stared at the round man in disinterest. "No," he said blandly.

Satori looked taken aback. "No?" he repeated, never having gotten a response like that before. "What do you mean—?"

But Sanji had already turned around and started walking away. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Satori asked, jumping off the orb of cloud he was sitting on and landing in front of the chef, who grunted in annoyance.

"Listen, I'm gonna be honest with you. I may not look it, but I am rightfully pissed right now. After being separated from Nami-san and Robin-chan, I am by no means in the mood for this shit today. So, why don't you just do everyone, including yourself, a favor, and get off our ship?"

Satori stared at him open mouthed. "Why the hell would I do that!?" he exclaimed. "It is my divine duty as a Priest to bestow judgment upon you!"

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you're one of those priest guys?"

"Hoho! That is correct, Blue Sea trash!"

Sanji sighed. "I guess there's no avoiding it then." Before the priest could ask what he meant, Usopp came out onto the deck of the Going Merry.

"Hey Sanji, what's the commotion? Who's this guy?" Usopp asked.

"It's one of those shitty priests," Sanji said.

"What? Him?" Usopp asked, having pictured a priest to look differently.

"Who are you calling a shitty priest!?" Satori raged, charging at Sanji with an open palm thrust. Sanji ducked out of the way and narrowed his eyes. He could tell there was something weird about this guy's attacks. Usopp readied his slingshot, but Sanji waved him off.

"Stay out of it. I can take this guy no problem." Usopp shrugged and lowered the weapon.

Sanji leapt at Satori with a kick at the ready, but the priest just smiled. "A kick with your right leg," he said, before dodging out of the way. Sanji grunted again.

"So, that's your game," he said.

Satori came forward with another palm thrust, and Sanji smirked. "A shock wave…from the device on your hand." Satori was completely caught off guard by this, and Sanji weaved out of the way of his attack, aiming another kick at him. Satori predicted his movements with mantra and dodged accordingly again, but was surprised when the move ended up being a feint, and was unable to dodge the next kick aimed at his face. He was sent careening off of the ship, only to be caught by his orb of cloud.

"What…it can't be. A mantra user!?" Satori asked in bewilderment, clutching at his bloodied face.

"Mantra…that's what Conis' father said too. Is that what it's called here?" Sanji wondered aloud, before charging forward with another kick at the ready. Satori was able to dodge this one by jumping back onto the ship, and when Sanji turned to face him, he wore a sinister grin. He pulled on a thread, and the orb he'd been sitting on came rushing toward Sanji. The chef, deeming it little thread, kicked it into the air, which turned out to be a mistake when he was caught in the resulting explosion. Caught off guard, he was unable to regain his bearings before Satori rushed him again.

"_**Impact!**_" he shouted, as the dial connected with the chef's torso. Sanji coughed a wad of blood and fell back onto the deck.

"Sanji!" Usopp shouted in worry, as Satori laughed victoriously.

"Hoho! That's what you get when you underestimate the Ordeal of Balls!" he said with glee, but was promptly silenced when Sanji got up again, looking thoroughly pissed. "You're still conscious!?"

Sanji ignored his shock as he glared at him. "Time to fry the dough," he muttered.

* * *

When Luffy and company arrived back at the Going Merry, they were only slightly surprised to see the bloody beaten form of what they assumed to be an enemy lying on the deck of the ship.

"Who's this guy?" Chopper asked him.

"One of the priests. He was annoying to deal with," Sanji answered. Indeed, he was covered in bruises, which only became more obvious once he removed his shirt as Chopper instructed. As the doctor tended to his wounds, Zoro yawned before leaning against the wall.

"So, how was the fight cook?" he asked lazily. The chef understood what he was being asked though.

"He could use Observation Haki. That was really the only thing he had going for him. He was better at using it than I was at first, but once I got a couple kicks in he freaked out and lost control of it. It ended quickly after that. Still, what an annoying bastard."

"You're telling me!" Usopp shouted. "That guy had no regard for ship maintenance! What was he thinking, lighting an explosion above the deck of the Merry! How am I supposed to repair this!?"

"No use worrying about it," Sanji replied. "At least he's quiet now."

"The question is, what do we do with him?" Nami said. "We can hardly just leave him on the ship."

Luffy walked up to the priest and hoisted him up. The crew watched blankly as he threw him off the ship, past the altar, and into the forest. "That takes care of that," Luffy said. "So, guess what we found out!"

* * *

After Luffy explained their findings on the City of Gold, the Strawhats were surprised by the sight of Gan Fall flying toward their ship. When asked what he was doing on Upper Yard, where he apparently hadn't set foot in years, he explained that he heard from an Angel Island citizen that they had come to God's land, and wanted to make sure they came out of it all right.

"That must have been Conis," Nami reasoned. "To be honest, I'm a bit worried about her. Couldn't her regard for our wellbeing mark her as an accomplice?" she asked anxiously.

"Not to worry," Gan Fall replied. "I've moved her to a safe location, where even Enel's mantra does not reach. Still, I was surprised to hear that you all came to Upper Yard willingly. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Don't worry about us, weird knight. We've been in worse situations than this," Luffy replied. "Thanks for everything you've done, though. Wanna join us for the night? We were going to set up camp."

"I'm afraid I cannot. There is a matter that has come to my attention, and while I appreciate the offer, I must attend to it."

Luffy shrugged. "Suit yourself. Good luck, then." As he flew off, Nami turned to him.

"Are you sure we should set up camp? We're in enemy territory; it might be better just to stay on the Merry."

Luffy stared at her as if she had said something absurd. "Huh? That's stupid, Nami. How can we light a bonfire on the Merry? Are you trying to burn down our ship?"

It took a moment for Nami's mind to register that. "Wait, we're gonna do _what_?"

* * *

Robin couldn't help but feel a little disconcerted at the moment. While it was practical to light a fire to cook their food, one this big was completely unnecessary, and it was even less prudent to keep it going through the night. But apparently, that was their plan, if it could be called such a thing. To throw a party around a bonfire in the middle of enemy territory. Strategically, there was no advantage to such an endeavor at all, but she had already learned that her little crew didn't always think rationally. Even Nami had ultimately just let out a resigned sigh and smiled tiredly before joining in on the fun, while Robin was content to sit back and watch.

Would she too settle into this carefree mindset one day? It was a daunting thought, yet an appealing one. Being able to let down her guard, relax and enjoy life…she didn't think about it often, but that was something she had desired for 20 years now. And now that she finally got the chance, she still couldn't help but feel paranoid. Supposedly some habits were too deeply ingrained.

So, here she was, sitting on the sidelines as her crew danced with wolves (were those wolves? Yes, those were wolves) around a bonfire. She couldn't help but smile fondly.

Absently, she became aware of Luffy walking toward her. She watched him as he sat down on the log next to her and sighed contently, patting his stomach.

"So," he began, "Not much of a dancer?"

Robin leaned back and closed her eyes, feeling the nightly breeze blow against her. "I guess not," she replied. "I never really learned."

"Neither did I, to be honest. But hey, what's to learn? Just keep moving."

Robin raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Are you asking me to dance, Captain-san?"

Luffy pouted. "I'm asking you to have fun. What are you doing here by yourself, anyway?"

"Someone has to keep watch," she defended.

"Keep watch for what?" Luffy asked, grinning. "Wolves? Good job."

Robin giggled. "Enforcers. Priests. Self-proclaimed deities, perhaps?"

"Robin, you know I'm like, really strong, right?"

Yes, she knew that. In fact, she couldn't stop thinking about the fact ever since he took down Crocodile with barely a scratch to show for it. She hummed in response, silently asking what his point was.

"And you know I can sense any enemies coming with Observation Haki, right?"

Yes, she knew that as well. She closed her eyes again and smiled, suddenly feeling slightly ridiculous. "I guess old habits die hard," she admitted, voicing her thoughts from earlier.

Luffy grinned again. "Well, come on then! If you don't want to dance, Zoro could use a drinking buddy."

Robin allowed herself to be led closer to the campsite, where she was greeted warmly, and for the first time, partied the night away as a Strawhat pirate.

* * *

A/N: Well, soon is a relative term anyway. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	44. A Strained Voice Manifests

Happy new year everyone. I'm in a pretty good mood today since, not only has New Game Plus been updated, but DuncanIdaho2014 gave me a shoutout! It brightened up my day so much that I was able to publish this chapter a full HOUR early. Well, more or less. Give or take a couple hours. Anyway, on to the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

* * *

Chapter XLIV: A Strained Voice Manifests

A thick fog encompassed the forest clearing, making it difficult to see much of anything in the dreary dark. To those who relied heavily on their sight to survey their surroundings, such as snipers for instance, these conditions turned even a quick trip to pee into a perilous journey fraught with danger.

At least, that's what said sniper argued when he went to wake his captain.

"You're saying I should come with you so you don't get blindsided?" Luffy clarified, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"That's right," Usopp confirmed.

"Oh, so you're scared of the dark. Ok then," Luffy deadpanned as he got up from the ground.

"Don't say it like that!" Usopp complained. "It's a precaution! Who knows what kind of scary creatures lurk in the dead of night?"

"You mean like the wolves that we shared our booze with?"

Usopp opened his mouth to argue further, but decided to quit while he was ahead and simply follow after Luffy, who had started walking passed the trees already.

"You know, it's not the animals I'd be worried about," Luffy said suddenly as they faced opposite directions and started emptying their bladders.

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked. "What else would attack us? Man eating plants?"

"Or maybe something a little less natural?" Luffy suggested with a grin. "Or as they say..._super_natural."

Usopp paled. "Y-you mean like g-ghosts?"

"Or zombies."

"Zombies!?"

"Or talking skeletons."

"Don't even joke about that!" Usopp whispered loudly, looking around frantically. "I'm perfectly fine with not encountering anything of an undead nature, thank you very much!"

"Don't get your hopes up. By the way, do you hear that?"

"Hear wha-" Usopp became silent as he heard what Luffy was talking about. It was coming from the direction of the Merry, and it almost sounded like the banging of a...hammer?

Luffy's brow furrowed as he reached out with his observation haki. Immediately his eyes widened. "That can't be right…" he muttered in amazement.

"What is it? You sense something?" Usopp asked fearfully.

"It feels like...you?"

"What? But I'm right here. Are you sure that's right?"

"Not really. Because it also feels like me. Also Zoro, Nami, and Sanji. I even feel traces of Chopper and Robin."

Usopp was growing more confused by the second. "So whatever this thing is, it can mimic our auras?" Luffy was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I think we should go see what it is," he said. Usopp nodded hesitantly. If this thing was on the Merry, then they probably shouldn't just leave it be. As they drew closer to the ship, they were able to make out a figure through the fog. Usopp was growing more pale by the second, while Luffy was simply in awe. He thought he knew who this was, but he was growing more sure by the second.

"_Captain_," came a juvenile voice from the ship which seemed to resonate through the fog.

"G-G-Gh-Gho-" Usopp stuttered, unable to form the word.

"Merry," Luffy breathed, causing Usopp to nearly forget his fear and turn to Luffy in concern.

"Merry? What about Merr-"

Usopp was interrupted as Luffy grabbed hold of his arm and jumped across the ocean cloud and onto the deck of the ship. Usopp, on full alert now, turned warily towards the mysterious figure, mallet in hand, that was now facing them, while Luffy just continued to stare in reverence.

The figure's face suddenly spread into a wide smile. It seemed to be as delighted to see them as a ghostlike figure could possibly be. "Captain Luffy! Usopp!" It's childlike voice shouted in glee.

"Who are you? How do you know our names?" Usopp asked, voice laced with a curiosity that overpowered his usual apprehension.

The small figure's face lit up with a mischievous countenance. "Guess!" the child challenged.

Only then did Usopp start to take in the child's appearance. It was that of a young girl, one with white shoulder length hair. Her face shone with a childlike innocence, but one that belied the infinite wisdom that was reflected in her deep brown eyes, hidden beneath the surface. It was as if she had felt all the pain the world had to offer but still had the heart to keep going.

"Merry..." Usopp whispered, his voice caught in his throat. It defied all reason. There was no explanation as to how this girl could be their ship, and yet...he just _knew_.

Luffy swallowed thickly. His observation haki was being barraged by the very essence of his crew. He could sense a myriad of qualities in Merry's aura which he could easily identify the sources of. From his own unyielding determination, to Zoro's undying loyalty, Nami's playful mischievousness, Usopp's natural curiosity, Sanji's fierce protectiveness, Chopper's optimistic enthusiasm, and Robin's sharp intelligence. They all blended together so naturally it was almost beautiful, and he could feel tears coming to his eyes. He had never had the chance of observe Merry's aura before. In fact, he wasn't even completely sure a ship would have one. But now that he could sense it for himself, he knew that it was something he would never forget. It was surreal.

Merry laughed. "You guessed right! It's me," she said.

"Wait, so you're a girl?" Usopp asked randomly, causing Luffy to break out of his daze and snicker at the timing of the question.

Merry scratched her head. "Well...yea? You guys always refer to me as 'she,' so I'm a girl!" she declared as if it was a simple concept.

"Makes sense to me," Luffy agreed.

"Well...ok then," Usopp said, not quite understanding how that worked but readily accepting. "So basically you appeared to repair yourself? Do you do this often?" he asked. There was a hint of guilt in his voice, and Luffy suddenly paled.

Merry laughed uneasily. "No, this is the first time," she admitted.

"Merry," Luffy spoke up. "Are you going to be ok?" Usopp looked at him in confusion.

Merry looked down at her feet, reluctant to answer. Finally, she spoke. "I'm just a caravel. The knockup stream was too much," she said quietly. Luffy gritted his teeth in grief upon hearing the answer as Usopp looked back and forth between the two in worry.

"Hey, what do you mean it's too much?" he asked. "No, I understand. We've been pushing you too hard, right? Are you saying the repairs won't hold? Because if so, tell us! I promise we'll get you to a professional shipwright as soon as we can!"

Merry met Usopp's eyes and shook her head sadly. Usopp's widened. "You mean…"

Luffy closed his eyes. How had it come to this again? He had tried to be careful. He had done his absolute best to stop their ship from being damaged, and up until the knockup stream, he would have sworn blind that he had succeeded. Were there some obstacles that Merry simply couldn't overcome? And in the previous timeline, had she powered through all of those injuries despite the fact that the knockup stream alone had been too strenuous for her?

"I'm sorry, Merry," he whispered. "I tried…" he trailed off. Merry shook her head.

"Don't blame yourself, Captain," she said. "You did your best, even from the very beginning."

Usopp looked toward his captain, thinking back to all the times Luffy had defended their ship with an uncharacteristic perfectionism that bordered on obsession. "Luffy, did you...know?" he asked.

"Deep down, I did," Luffy said truthfully. "Merry was built in the East Blue. She wasn't designed to endure the Grand Line."

"But just look at us!" Usopp said defensively. "Almost all of us are from East Blue, and we made it just fine!" he protested.

"But as much as she's our comrade, Merry isn't human," Luffy reminded him. "Our injuries will heal, but hers will just pile up." Merry nodded soberly. There was an oppressive silence for a while before she spoke up again.

"You're going to need to find a new ship eventually," she said. Usopp's eyes widened again.

"What? No! We can't just abandon you, Merry! There had to be another way! We can-"

"No, Usopp," Merry said, her voice uncharacteristically stern. "You have to promise me you'll move on. I want to go on more adventures with you all, but I know my limits, and my time is running out. You have to let me go. I…" she paused, and her voice grew quiet again. "I don't want you all to sink with me."

Usopp looked at her in defeat. "Promise me," she repeated.

"Ok," he said reluctantly. "I promise."

With that, Merry gave them one last heartfelt smile, and then disappeared before their eyes.

* * *

When the Strawhats awoke the next morning, Luffy gathered everyone's attention, saying there was something he needed to tell them all.

"Does this have something to do with your trip to the altar last night?" Robin asked knowingly.

"Oh, you were awake?" Luffy asked.

"I'm a light sleeper," she answered.

"Yeah, it does," Luffy confirmed, before taking a deep breath. "It's about the Going Merry." Nami, Sanji, Chopper, and Robin listened curiously, while Usopp stared at the ground, and Zoro closed his eyes, already knowing what this was about. Luffy went on to explain the situation and what had happened during the night. Any skepticism that they had seen the spirit of their ship was forgotten in light of the revelation that Merry was dying. Even Nami knew they wouldn't joke about something like that.

"So, there's nothing else we can do?" Nami asked in a subdued voice.

Luffy shook his head. "I don't think so. Let's not worry about this right now. There's nothing we can do until we get back to the Blue Sea. We'll figure something out then."

Nami gave a subdued nod.

About an hour later, the Strawhats were ready to start their journey. This was initiated by an argument between Luffy and Zoro in regards to which way would go.

"What are you doing Luffy?" Zoro asked, annoyance evident in his tone. The City of Gold is in the skull's right eye. That means we have to go to the right, which is this way," he said, holding out his right arm.

Luffy stared at him incredulously. "What kind of idiot are you!? Left and right is different depending on which way you're facing! You've always sucked at navigation, so just leave this to me. We have to go south, which is the direction that feels the warmest! That's this way," Luffy said, unwittingly pointing to the rising sun.

"Excuse me, if I may interject," Robin interrupted, as Nami was busy banging her head against a tree. "Captain-san is correct in stating that left and right is relative to where one stands, but orienting yourself based on which way feels warmest is not an accurate method of navigation. The east only feels warmer because the sun is rising. So south would be that way," she said, pointing to Luffy's right hand side.

"Hmm, I don't really get it, but ok! Let's go!" As he was walking, he picked up a small branch from the underbrush and started using it as a walking stick. Chopper looked on in interest.

"Luffy, that's a nice stick!"

"Hmm? Oh yeah. I couldn't find one in Alabasta, but this place is full of them. Try finding one."

As Chopper set out to do just that, Luffy chuckled. "That reminds me, I wonder how Vivi and Seal are doing."

* * *

_Elsewhere_

"Vivi-sama…?" Igaram's slightly confused voice shook the Alabastian princess out of her thoughts. "Would you happen to know why Seal has taken to carrying a stick around with him in the palace?"

At Vivi's surprised expression, Igaram grew more confused. "Is something wrong?"

"He...actually found one?" Vivi mumbled. "The vegetation here _has_ been steadily increasing again…"

At Igaram's questioning look, she shook her head in fond exasperation. "You're better off not knowing."

* * *

"My name is Kotori!"

"My name is Hotori!"

"We are God's elite enforcers-"

"-here to pass judgement upon you-"

"-as well as gain vengeance-"

"for our fallen brother!"

"Prepare yourselves!" the two priest lookalikes shouted at once.

The Strawhats stared in silence at the duo who were so out of their depth that even Chopper was looking at them as if they were idiots.

"Well then!" Luffy's mock authoritative voice spoke up. "Since this isn't even remotely fair, I guess we're going with Battle Formation SH2!"

Nami groaned as she realized that Luffy was probably going to make some kind of training exercise out of this. As the crew huddled together, Kotori and Hotori looked on in incredulity.

They were playing rocks paper scissors.

"Wait, how is this a battle formation!?" Kotori asked.

"You're just playing a children's game!" Hotori shouted.

"Hey you!" Luffy shouted, already out of the game. "Don't underestimate Battle Formation SH2!"

"No, feel free to underestimate it," Nami scoffed. "He only calls it that so people will think we have multiple battle formations. When it reality, we're just deciding who's going to fight."

Luffy gave her a hurt look. "Don't say that Nami!" he whined. "Our battle formations will fall into place once we get one or two more crew members!"

Nami rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Meanwhile, Hotori and Kotori were astonished at the insolent Blue Sea dwellers who were treating them like a mere nuisance. Before they could collect themselves though, the Strawhats finished their game, Nami and Usopp being the winners.

"You know, I can't help but think this was rigged somehow!" Usopp pointed out.

"He's right. What are the chances that the two weakest crew members would have to deal with those idiots?" Nami asked, jerking her thumb at the sputtering duo of enforcers.

"Oh come on! How could I rig rocks paper scissors anyway?" Luffy asked. "If you want to blame someone, blame the lost samurai."

Nami and Usopp simultaneously turned towards Zoro, who grimaced in annoyance. "Not me!" he sputtered.

"Oh dear, that wall just came crashing down," Robin commented. Chopper looked up at her in question, not following the present conversation at all.

"What wall?" he asked innocently.

"The fourth one," Sanji muttered.

_I still don't get it_, Chopper thought.

Hotori and Kotori, having had enough and enraged by the earlier insult, lunged at Nami, who yelped and dove out of the way. Sanji took a step forward, seething, but was held back by Zoro.

"Don't Cook, they need the experience. Even our training won't be enough if they don't fight any real battles."

"Battle my ass! They tried to gang up on her!" Sanji shouted. "If Nami-san gets hurt, I'll blame you, shitty swordsman!"

"If either of them get hurt, blame _me_," Luffy interrupted. "But they won't."

Meanwhile, Nami was having trouble forming a lightning cloud while trying to fend off her assailant's attacks. Usopp had been quick to take one of them after their initial assault, and was now using hit and run tactics against a disorganized Hotori (or Kotori, really, who knew?). But strangely, though almost all of his attacks were hitting dead on, some of them were being harmlessly stopped by the enforcer's hand as if their kinetic energy had suddenly vanished. At the same time, Nami was fending off attacks with her staff, and although she parried with a grace that belied her lack of confidence and constant shrieks, each block she was forced to make interrupted her efforts to form a cloud overhead.

The entire crew had been warned about the strange devices that the priest had worn on his hands by Sanji. Robin had speculated that it was a prevalent form of combat in Skypiea, so both Nami and Usopp were wary of getting too close.

"You can't dodge forever!" Kotori taunted as he lunged for Nami again. Nami was forced to block his blow with her clima tact, but to her surprise, it wasn't a normal blow. When the enforcer's open palm met her staff, a metallic clang was heard, and a sharp pain travelled up her arm from the force that would have resulted in a grievous wound had it landed. Kotori's eyes widened as the recoil left him off balance. _The axe dial couldn't cut it? What's that thing made of!? _

Nami, wincing in pain but not to be deterred, quickly capitalized on the opportunity, twirling her staff and swinging it directly at his head. Upon impact, the staff released a force far greater than the blow itself would bestow, and Kotori was blown off his feet by the gust of wind, only to be stopped by a tree. He rose to his feet in a daze, and when he touched his head, he felt a warm red liquid. Angered, he prepared to use his flame dial to roast Nami from a distance, but could only stare in shock as she disappeared from before his eyes with another twirl of her staff. Looking around frantically, he could find no trace of her. Unnoticed by the duo, the cloud overhead now began rapidly increasing in size.

"Stand still you little coward!" Hotori's high pitched and frustrated voice rang out. Once he realized he couldn't get clear shot to his torso or head, Usopp had started aiming for his legs. As a result, Hotori was now limping heavily due to his knees having taken damage. As it was, he could barely position himself well enough to block with the impact dial, much less land a hit with it on the constantly retreating sniper, who by the way, was much faster than he looked. An opportunity prevented itself when Usopp backed into a tree. Kotori, not one to waste it, lunged at Usopp, although noticeably slower now, with impact dial at the ready. Usopp, thinking fast, aimed another shot at his head, forcing Hotori to abort his assault in favor of blocking once again with the dial, and thereby missing Usopp, who ducked out of the way and rolled before gaining more distance. The sniper's eyes bulged as he surveyed the damage done to the tree he had backed into by the dial. The trunk had been blown apart, causing the tree to topple over. He had been right to be cautious and not get hit by that.

Hotori, realizing he had to switch tactics, used his other dial, the breath dial. A hissing sound was heard, and Usopp's eyes widened as he realized that some form of gas was being released into the area. Although it was clear, his keen sense of smell was able to pick up on it. But this guy's dials were the shock wave one and the breath one. Could he use flames as well? He had to assume at least one of them could, otherwise the gas would be pointless.

It was then that he noticed Hotori's eyes drifting to the side to meet Kotori's, and inwardly cursed. The other enforcer, forgetting about his fruitless search for Nami at the moment, instead aimed his open palm at Usopp, who realized he had to get out of the gas _now._ Knowing they wouldn't set themselves on fire, he ran towards the two enforcers.

He wasn't quite fast enough.

As it happened, Nami was.

Usopp only had time to register the strong gust that blew passed him, not strong enough to lift him off his feet, but enough for its purposes. He let out a relieved breath as the subtle smell of gas faded, and rolled out of the way of the oncoming flame, making a mental note to thank Nami for the save once this was over. Ignoring the explosion of flame that, while close, didn't reach him, he let an uncharacteristic smirk manifest on his face. This fight was almost over. Casting a subtle glance upwards, he noted that the lightning cloud overhead still wasn't ready due to the constant interruptions. He also made a note to find a way for Nami to multitask with the clima tact.

"What was that? Your aim is terrible," he said to the shocked duo. "Stop trying to hit me and hit me! I'll send it back to you twice as strong!"

"Funny how you're talking trash when you're about to die!" Kotori shouted. In their anger, the two enforcers foolishly obliged Usopp's request, readying another combination attack. Usopp silently prayed to whatever god was listening other than Enel that Nami had gotten the message he'd been trying to convey. His trust was rewarded when, after the gas was released, he felt another strong breeze, this time blowing in the opposite direction, back towards Hotori and Kotori. The two must have noticed, because their eyes widened comically as they realized what was happening.

"The cloud overhead was formed by the humidity in the area," Usopp said with a smirk. "As a result, the air is much dryer. They say those who play with fire get burned," he said, aiming his slingshot at the enforcers and letting his exploding star fly. It detonated inside the small area of gas, resulting in an explosion twice as big as the previous one, which swallowed the two enforcers whole. "Luckily for me, I'm not playing."

As he turned around and walked away, he felt something that felt a lot like Nami's staff impact lightly with his head. As he rubbed the aching bump, Nami materialized in front of him.

"You sure seemed confident that the explosion wouldn't hit me, especially for someone who didn't know where I was!" Nami yelled, glaring halfheartedly.

"Well, I trusted that you would get out of the way in time since you were the one directing the gas!" Usopp defended.

"Whatever," Nami said, though Usopp thought he saw a ghost of a smile on her face. "Just remember you owe me one," Nami huffed.

Usopp sighed. "Yea, ok…" Suddenly, his head perked up and his eyes widened. Nami only had time to wonder why he had grown pale before he raised his slingshot and fired a pellet over her shoulder. Nami turned around in time to see Kotori (or Hotori, really, who knew?) clutching his face in pain as he fell over just short of reaching her. They both leapt back instinctively, noting that the enforcer, while covered in third degree burns, hadn't taken nearly as much damage as he should have.

Nami, getting over the fact that she probably would have died had Usopp been any slower, raised her staff to the sky.

"Looks like I'll get to use this after all. **_Thunderbolt tempo_!**"

The massive bolt of lightning reached the ground where their opponent was struggling to get up faster than one could say "overkill."

Needless to say, he didn't get up again after that.

"Damn, that was close," Usopp said. "He must have used that weapon he had to absorb the force of the explosion and most of the flames."

Nami nodded, a little shakily, then smiled lightly. "Thanks, Usopp."

Suddenly they heard clapping, and turned to see Luffy and the rest of the crew making their way towards them.

"See? Not a scratch," Luffy said, a little too smugly, only to be kicked in the face by Sanji.

"That was too many close calls. What would you have done if they weren't fast enough?" the chef grumbled.

"I would have intervened, obviously. But I didn't need to," Luffy argued, before turning to Usopp. "Hey, let's go loot them. Those weapons they were using looked useful." Getting an enthusiastic nod from Usopp, the group took the dials from the two unconscious enforcers.

* * *

"Hotori and Kotori have been defeated," Enel said in a bored tone, much to the surprise of his servants.

"First one of the priests and now this?" one spoke up. "Will you intervene, God?"

"Now why would I do that? The survival game has already begun. If my forces can't even handle a group of Blue Sea dwellers, they don't deserve to come with me to the dream land." He smirked. "Of course, that's not to say I'll stand idly by. I am a player in this game as well." And with that, Enel disappeared in a bright flash.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for not updating for a month and all. For some reason this chapter was hard to write, and I needed to wait for inspiration to strike. Tell me what you thought, as usual. Lost out.


	45. Clash of Heaven and Earth

Look! Up in the sky!

It's a bird! It's a plane! IT'S A SECOND WIND UPDATE. We're saved!

On a less conceited note, my beta reader, The Patient One, is writing a One Piece story called Changing the Future (redone). It's a time travel fic, but not quite like this one; the premise is Luffy and company jumping around in time rather than going back once. Everyone go read it, and then start your review with the heading "LOST BROUGHT ME HERE."

I said _less_ conceited, not completely lacking conceit. Anyway, chapter time.

Disclaimer: It's been a year since I started this story and I _still_ don't own One Piece? Like, wtf?

* * *

Chapter XLV: Clash of Heaven and Earth

As the Strawhats made their way through the thick undergrowth of Upper Yard, Luffy couldn't help but feel amused. They were in the middle of a philosophical debate, something that didn't happen often. It had started when Chopper asked an innocent question: 'Is this place the real Heaven?' And from there, it had escalated quite satisfactorily.

"Like I said, there's no this place is _actually_ Heaven!" Nami argued. "I could just as easily put a sign up over Cocoyasi Village that says the same thing, but that wouldn't make it true."

"I agree with Nami-san!" Sanji announced with ease of practice.

"To be fair, Navigator-san, your home island isn't floating on clouds 10,000 meters above the sea," Robin said with a smile.

Nami glared at Robin, knowing full well that she didn't think this place was _the_ Heaven either.

"I agree with Robin-chan!" came Sanji's predictable response.

"Hey, you can't agree with both of them!" Usopp sputtered. "Not when they have differing opinions! And really, we shouldn't be talking about this! Enel could rain lightning down on us at any time!"

It was a valid point. The only reason they were willing to have this discussion was that they had Luffy and Zoro on lightning patrol. Once they had been assured that Enel wasn't even bothering at this point, the debate had dragged on for the next 5 minutes, in which Usopp would argue that Skypiea was Heaven, most likely so he could brag about having gone there later, and Nami, ever the voice of reason, would argue the opposite, while Robin would play devil's advocate in order to keep the debate going, most likely because she found it funny, and Sanji would agree with whatever Nami and Robin said.

"Look, all I'm saying is that we already know we're not the first Blue Sea dwellers to visit Skypiea," Usopp stated. "Who's to say that the name 'Heaven' didn't come from here originally? For all we know, this could have been the inspiration for it. That would mean that for all intents and purposes, this place is Heaven."

Chopper listened on curiously. _What did I start?_

"I guess it's possible," Nami conceded grudgingly. "But it still seems unlikely."

"Luffy, Zoro, what do you guys think?" Usopp asked. The two hadn't said a word yet.

"Don't care," they replied in unison.

"Really?" Usopp asked. "You guys aren't curious at all?"

"I don't believe in God, so I couldn't care less," Zoro stated.

The rumble of thunder overhead either went unnoticed or was ignored.

"What about you, Luffy? You always seemed like the type to believe things for no reason," Nami said with a smirk.

Luffy grinned. "I don't pretend to know either way," he replied. "If he exists, that's fine with me, but if he doesn't, I won't lose sleep over it. I'll just do my own thing like always."

"That's an interesting viewpoint, Captain-san," Robin said. "So you're an Agnostic?"

"A what-now?"

"Are you guys so captivated by your meaningless conversation that you wouldn't notice a giant snake sneaking up on you?" Zoro drawled.

The Strawhats stilled. Luffy's grin only widened as the others looked around cautiously. Sanji reached out with his Observation Haki, and the cigarette fell from his mouth. "Son of a..."

"Oh, dear," Robin commented as one of the oversized vines nearby started slithering. Soon, a colossal python was looming over them, jaw wide open.

"Scatter!" Luffy shouted, before grabbing Nami and leaping out of the way. Usopp was unceremoniously kicked out of the way by Zoro, while Sanji and Robin leapt aside and Chopper scurried away in Walk Point.

The crew looked back and shivered. The snake's fangs had left a huge indent in the tree behind them, which continued to erode from its venom.

"That could be a problem," Robin stated. "I hope none of us get eaten...or skewered...or liquified."

"Stop it!" Usopp shouted. "Come on, we need to retreat!"

Luffy had other ideas as he walked straight up to the python and looked it in the eye.

"Hey, snake!"

The snake's eyes narrowed as it hissed at Luffy.

"Isn't he going to use Conqueror's Haki?" Usopp whispered. "That thing could really eat him alive!"

But Luffy's next words stopped the snake short. "We're looking for a golden bell! Have you seen it?"

Before the Strawhats could fully comprehend the idiocy of the question, they were taken aback by the snake's reaction. It was still staring at Luffy, but its eyes were wide. It seemed to have a faraway look in its eyes.

Luffy smirked. "You're looking for it too, right? If you want to find it, go wait for us under the giant beanstalk. I assume you can find your way there."

The snake evidently understood what Luffy was talking about better than the Strawhats did. It looked at Luffy suspiciously for a little while longer before raising its head to the sky and letting out an unusual hissing noise.

"_Ssuuuulaalaalaalaaaa!_" it hissed loudly, almost as if it was trying to say something, or perhaps imitate something that had been said. Immediately afterwards, it turned around and started slithering rather quickly towards the Strawhats' destination.

"What was that all about?" Nami asked.

"Tell you later," Luffy replied, still grinning.

Robin's suspicion that the captain knew something about this place that the rest of them didn't was now solidified, but she let it go for the moment.

As they made their way deeper into the forest, the crew began to hear the unmistakable sounds of conflict faroff in the distance.

"It sounds like there's a battle going on here," Sanji commented.

"But how? This is Upper Yard. Aren't we supposed to be the only intruders?" Usopp asked nervously.

Zoro closed his eyes for a moment. "The status quo has changed. There are around 80 people on the island at the moment. They're all fighting. Some of them are already down for the count." He opened his eyes. "It's war."

"War?" Robin repeated. "So it's a rebellion against Enel's reign?"

"It's unlikely that all of Skypiea would accept his rule," Zoro replied.

"You're right. Most likely, the conflict was already in the making. It could be that our presence here has galvanized the resistance," Robin speculated.

"I don't think it was just us," Luffy spoke up, drawing the crew's attention. His brow furrowed. "Do you guys remember what that weird knight guy said? There was another group of Blue Sea dwellers that caused trouble here recently. And now, we come along and take down a priest. It kind of mucks up Enel's image, don't you think?"

Sanji nodded. "It makes him look vulnerable. That's why they're acting now. Whoever showed up before us must have been a Grand Line pirate. Our own success aside, they were no pushovers if they did so much damage."

Luffy's frown deepened. _And whoever it was, they weren't here last time. I have a bad feeling. I hope I'm wrong. It couldn't be…_

He looked at Zoro, who met his eyes for a brief second. His countenance was nearly as grim. This did not bode well.

"Hey, we've got incoming," Sanji said.

Luffy snapped back to attention. There was another aura approaching them. Relatively weak, but stronger than the last two. He smirked.

"So, who gets this one?"

* * *

Chopper stood frozen in shock. Oh, no. Did he just win? _That's not fair! I have hooves! I can only choose scissors! How did I win!?_

"Looks like it's all you, Chopper," Luffy said, grinning. "Give him hell!"

Chopper nervously turned toward the priest Gedatsu, who had been watching them in bemusement.

"What is this? You're choosing a tanuki to fight me? Why do I feel that you're not taking me seriously?"

"Shows what you know! He's not a tanuki!" Luffy retorted. "He's half-reindeer half-tanuki half-human!"

"Shut up, Luffy!" Chopper cried hysterically.

"Well, not that it matters. If you so wish, I will take you all down one at a time!"

"Don't hold back, Chopper! You can do this," Luffy encouraged. "Just use the Rumble Ball and do what you usually do. You'll be fine."

Chopper gulped and nodded. He held up a pill, and with barely a moment's hesitation, popped it into his mouth. "_**Rumble**_."

"What's this? Eating during a fight? How careless," Gedatsu admonished.

Chopper didn't bother to respond, knowing his time limit had already started. He quickly approached the priest in Walk Point. Gedatsu's eyes widened at the unexpected burst of speed but managed to dodge thanks to his Mantra, floating above the ground using the Dials on his feet. Chopper went into Jumping Point and pursued him, but the priest managed to propel himself out of the way again. His increased mobility in tandem with his mantra was proving a problem, so Chopper landed on the ground and went into Brain Point as his opponent was retreating. Scanning Gedatsu for weaknesses, he quickly came up with a plan before the priest capitalized on the opportunity.

Gedatsu's hands started leaking a milky white substance which formed a cloud. He hurled it at Chopper, who went back into Jumping Point and leapt out of the way. Although it was just cloud, he didn't know what it was supposed to do, and decided to play it safe. Before he could get close though, Gedatsu followed up using the jet dial on his elbow.

"**_Jet Punch_!**"

Chopper was barely able to dodge, even in Jumping Point, and looked on in worry as the attack blew a hole into a nearby boulder. Gauging the strength of the attack, he decided to take his chances. As the priest turned around and used another Jet Punch, Chopper launched himself forward in Jumping Point before quickly switching to Arm Point and meeting the blow head on.

"**_Kokutei, Roseo_!**"

The clash resulted in both combatants being blown off their feet. Chopper went into Guard Point to cushion the impact, but Gedatsu took the full brunt of it as he collided with a tree. Chopper wasted no time and went back into Walk Point. Hoisting himself back onto his feet, Gedatsu tried to propel himself back into the air, but Chopper jumped after him, switching into Heavy Point and grabbing him by the feet. He pulled the Dials off of his shoes, effectively grounding him, and they both plummeted to earth.

As Chopper rolled away, Gedatsu slowly got back to his feet. He used another Jet Punch, but Chopper went into Horn Point and caught the blow in his antlers. Digging his hooves into the ground and gritting his teeth through the pain, Chopper slowed to a stop and bucked, sending Gedatsu flying through the air to collide painfully with the ground. Before he could get up again, Chopper capitalized on the opportunity and ended the fight with another Kokutei, Roseo. Confident the priest wouldn't get up again, Chopper let out a heavy breath and turned back towards his comrades, who all congratulated him.

Luffy smiled to himself. Everyone's training was really paying off. They would have to keep this up.

* * *

Ohm scowled. Gedatsu's voice had just fallen silent. The idiot had personally volunteered to subdue the seven Blue Sea dwellers whose voices now continued to approach Giant Jack, and now he had been taken down, easily in fact, if the lack of any other voices falling quiet was any indication. It was one thing to be the only _competent_ priest left, but to be the only priest left period? At times he actually missed Shura, if only for his success rate, and that was just worrying. He'd always hated that string bastard, but at least he got the job done a good 97% of the time. It wasn't quite up to par with his own 100%, but it was a level of reliability he didn't make a habit of expecting from the other two. Well, no matter. He was the only one left, which meant none of their enemies would be escaping from this point on.

Enel may have been omnipotent, but he was far too lax at times in Ohm's opinion. He didn't really care for avenging his fellow priest. The miserable being was better off dead than continuing his wretched existence, as were all human mortals. But letting that crew of insolent misfits escape just because their foolhardy leader had survived a couple dozen half-assed El Thors? The stubborn ones who clung to life were the ones that needed to be freed from their misery the most. If he didn't know any better, he would say that God Enel had been afraid.

Good thing he knew better than to think that, much less say it.

Oh, well. It was not as if he could go after the Blue Sea dwellers...yet. They were most likely coming to him anyway, so there was no reason to abandon his post. He extended his mantra and noted that the Shandians were making their way to God's Shrine as well. Soon it would be time to save some wretched souls.

* * *

Enel looked up from the scorching form of the Shandian warrior, Kamakiri. Absentmindedly noting that his attack had unwittingly hit several others traveling on the milky road, both foes and allies, he extended his mantra towards Giant Jack. Ohm was still there, but Gedatsu was gone...oh wait, there he was. Unconscious, on the path to the altar. He must have run into the Blue Sea dwellers who were now nearing the ancient ruins. That was another priest down. That left himself, Ohm, Holy, Yama, Skypiea's former God, the Master of the Sky, the seven Blue Sea dwellers, the War Demon Wiper, and a handful of Shandian warriors and his own enforcers. Not to mention the Shandian child who had been born with mantra who was sneaking about. 24 participants in total. This game was getting interesting.

* * *

"Luffy?" Nami's deceptively sweet voice addressed the Strawhat captain, causing him to sweat a bit.

"Um...yeah, Nami?"

"Cities of gold...they usually have gold, don't they?" she questioned rhetorically, in that same dangerously mellow tone.

"Not in my experience," Luffy replied, boldly evading the question. The thing about Nami was that when she asked you a rhetorical question, she expected you to answer it, and answer it right. As it happened, his answer, while truthful (he had only ever seen one city of gold in his life, and being the exact same one, it had no gold either), was not the right one.

This was what he liked to think of as the calm before the storm. And the retort had barely left his mouth before he realized that he was essentially poking the storm with a stick.

The thought alone made him drop the stick he was still carrying.

As Nami's eyes darkened, Luffy hastily pointed in the direction of the nearest aura.

"Hey, look, there's a guy over there! We should go beat him up! He can probably tell you where the gold is, unlike me."

Nami's eyes narrowed. The distraction was weak at best.

"Navigator-san," Robin cut in, struggling not to erupt into a fit of giggles. "It's been 400 years since the City of Gold was last accounted for. It makes sense that the gold would have been moved. But seeing as Skypiea is relatively small and this land is a restricted area, there are only so many places it could be. I suggest we take Captain-san's crudely phrased advice and question one of Enel's underlings as to its whereabouts.

Nami hummed. "So, in other words, Enel probably took the gold. And to get it back, we'll most likely have to kick his ass."

"Did I mention you'll need me in one piece for that?" Luffy saw fit to ask.

"Not really," Zoro disagreed emotionlessly. "I could beat him nearly as easily as—"

"Zoro, the next time you start wandering off in a random direction, I'm letting you get lost."

Zoro scoffed. "As if I'd get lost with this huge ass beanstalk as a landmark."

"You would get lost even if you had a walking compass following you around and trying to get your attention."

As the two bickered, Robin observed the ruins closely. They weren't nearly as large as she'd imagined. Was this really everything? As she surveyed her surroundings, inspiration struck her. They were still standing on cloud, and this was Upper Yard. That meant they weren't at ground level. There was more underneath. She was about to pass on this information to her crewmates when they heard a loud crash. She turned and noted with dread that a Shandian warrior had just crashed into one of the nearby ruins. That was ancient history lost to mankind. She might have attacked the man if not for the knowledge that it had been someone else to send him crashing into the artifact...and the fact that he was now unconscious, his cannon lying useless on the ground next to him.

She turned with a cold glare towards the heavyweight man who was approaching them.

Luffy saw the look on her face and winced.

"You know, Robin, I think we can just skip the rock-paper-scissors this time."

Only a nearly imperceptible nod of agreement indicated that the archaeologist had heard him.

"So, you are the seven illegal entrants who have caused so much havoc on Upper Yard. The priests must have been slacking. What a disgrace. Even Satori was defeated," he snarled. "As God Enel's Chief Enforcer, I, Yama, will end this little nuisance now!"

Yama charged recklessly at the Strawhats, but Robin used her Devil Fruit powers to grab his legs and trip him. He fell face first, but quickly bounced back onto his feet and turned towards Robin with a furious glare.

"You first, then? Very well."

"Show some respect. These ruins are priceless, and you're stumbling around destroying them like a neanderthal," Robin said coolly.

Yama snorted. "The ruins? You think I care about the past? Here's what I think of your damn ruins!"

He made to kick at a nearby slab of rock, but a couple dozen hands sprouted out of the ground and held him in a choke hold. Grunting in pain, he tried to break out of the hold. Robin, who was exerting herself keeping hold of the giant brute of a man, realized that his size made a simple clutch impossible as she couldn't get a good enough hold on him. Seeing as she had no qualms about the method used to incapacitate a hostile, several more arms sprouted out of Yama's back and continued choking him.

Yama, gasping for air, did the only thing he could do and fell backwards. His dead weight was too much for Robin to support, and most of the arms dissipated, lest they be crushed beneath him as he fell. She concluded that this was a wise decision as the ground split apart beneath him. Noting that he had axe dials on his back and abdomen, she summoned more hands to hold him down.

This time, however, Yama caught one of her sprouted limbs and attempted to crush it. The flash of pain disrupted her focus and the rest of the limbs disappeared along with it. Now free, Yama rose to his feet and looked at Robin cautiously.

Luffy grimaced. Robin wasn't fighting as she usually would. She was trying to protect the ruins from being damaged any further.

"Robin! Don't worry about the ruins. I've got it covered. Just focus on kicking this guy's ass!"

Robin turned to Luffy in surprise, but then nodded to convey that she trusted him. She quickly scurried away from Yama, leading him towards a rock formation without any markings on it. Yama chased after her, but as she suspected, the brute had a one track mind. Once he realized she was determined to protect the ruins, he was persistent in his attempts to exploit the disadvantage.

Which is why he veered off to the right and flew headlong into a ruin. Robin's eyes widened. She tried to use her Devil Fruit powers, but was too late as he collided with the stone structure…

And was repelled violently. He fell back onto the ground, cursing in pain and clutching the newly formed bruise on his head from the collision with the stone, which, upon closer inspection, was now blackened like volcanic rock. Robin followed the trail of black across the ground and met Luffy's eyes curiously. He had one obsidian hand on the ground, which acted as a medium for the physical manifestation of his will.

He grinned at her. "Continue."

Robin turned back to Yama, and several arms appeared on the ground next to his arm. A couple seconds later, the arm was broken at the elbow, eliciting a new round of curses from the heavyweight, who charged at Robin in a blind rage, all thoughts of the ruins forgotten.

"_**Axe Mountain**_!" the brute shouted as he attempted to bodyslam the archaeologist.

Robin activated her power while dodging out of the way so that the only thing in Yama's path was the large boulder she had chosen. Yama seemed unconcerned with the impending collision, but this was proven to be a rather poor decision as blood spurted from his stomach where the axe dials had been turned around to face the wrong way. Yama coughed up blood as he lay in the pile of rubble. A dozen arms now sprouted around the defenseless man, who was unable to resist the hold this time.

"_**Clutch**_," Robin's emotionless voice broke the silence, followed by the cracking of bones. Satisfied that the man was not getting up under his own strength any time soon, Robin walked calmly back toward her crewmates.

* * *

After thoroughly exploring the ruins, Robin was able to decipher some of the writing, and the Strawhats were led below the veil of clouds to the city of Shandia underneath. They couldn't find the golden bell, which meant that either it didn't make it to the sky, it was lost during the ascension of Jaya, or Enel had it. Luffy was still determined to ring it, and Nami was still determined to find the gold, but neither had objected to Robin teaching Yama a painful lesson before they could question him, oddly.

As it turned out, this wasn't much of a problem, since another of Enel's minions met them at the base of the beanstalk, along with a giant dog.

"Welcome, Blue Sea dwellers. I am Ohm, the last of God's priests. The Ordeal of Iron has begun. You will not leave here alive."

"The last 5 guys all had the same idea," Sanji said. "Can we just get on with this?"

Ohm adjusted his glasses. "As you wish."

Several things happened in the next minute. A bearded man who the Strawhats recognized as Gan Fall flew in on his winged horse. The Shandian warrior who had assaulted them when they first arrived in the White Sea also made an appearance, along with a couple other Shandian warriors.

Most shockingly to those who weren't the Strawhat pirates, a giant snake slithered around the base of Giant Jack, attracted by all the commotion. The snake looked at Luffy expectantly, and the Strawhat captain gestured towards the other arrivals, who were staring each other down. The tension was palpable as Ohm readied his sword, Wiper his bazooka, Braham his flash guns, Gan Fall his lance, and the snake her fangs. Strangely, the snake, whom the Skypieans knew as the Master of the Sky, was hovering over the Blue Sea dwellers almost protectively.

"So, you're all alright," Gan Fall stated, greeting the Strawhats. "That's good to know. I was beginning to fear the worst."

"I'm surrounded by people I'd love to kill," Wiper growled. "But first things first." He turned to Ohm. "Where is Enel? I'm here for his head."

"Foolish mortals. You will all be freed from the illusion of life's grandeur soon enough," was all Ohm said.

"_Suuulaalaalaalaaaa_!" the Master of the Sky hissed her input.

"So, then," Luffy's spoke up. "I guess it's a battle royale."

"How exciting," a new voice, accompanied by a crackle of lightning, drawled. "I do hope I'm invited."

Everyone turned to face none other than God Enel, who was smirking at them all. "Of the original 80 participants, 16 fighters remain. How frustrating. Let's trim that number down, shall we?"

* * *

A/N: Ugh. I wanted to post this chapter on Tuesday, but work caught up with me. I feel as though it was a bit rushed to be honest. What did you guys think of the pacing? Or do you just want shit to happen already?


	46. To Reject God

Hello again everyone! Since the Skypiea arc is coming to a close soon, I thought I'd address an issue I've been pondering. Multiple people have expressed a desire to see the Water 7/Ennies Lobby arcs sooner rather than later. While this is certainly understandable, considering that the latter is commonly considered to be one of the best arcs in the series, I cannot, in good conscience, speed through an arc like this one. I feel that if I did that people would be inclined to do the same while reading it, and I don't want any major arc to be uninteresting to the readers.

I knew when I began this story that some arcs inevitably be less eventful than others. Skypiea in particular is vulnerable to this trend because it takes place in a setting isolated from the rest of the One Piece world. Even in canon, one of its only redeeming factors for a lot of people is an overpowered villain, and in a story like this one that point is moot. This foresight was one of the reasons why Second Wind has been partially a humor story from the beginning, as I feel that comedy can go a long way to make a chapter more interesting.

I was also planning to spend a chapter or two on G8, since it was my favorite filler arc. Let me know whether you'd like to see that or not. If there's an overwhelming response to the negative, I'll reconsider it.

With that said, enjoy the climax of the Skypiea arc.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

* * *

Chapter XLVI: To Reject God

There was a moment of calm under Giant Jack as the 16 participants stared each other down, waiting for someone to make the first move. Between the Shandians, the Priest, the Knight of the Sky, the Master of the Sky, and the God of the Sky, tensions were high.

The Blue Sea dwellers, on the other hand, had varied reactions to the new development. Zoro looked utterly bored, Sanji was needlessly assuring Nami and Robin that he'd protect them, Nami was rolling her eyes at Sanji, Usopp was holding his slingshot above his head in a sign of false bravado that belied the trembling of his legs, Chopper was asking Luffy what a battle royale was, Robin was looking utterly bored, and Luffy was explaining to Chopper what a battle royale was in a rather grandiose manner, utilizing the term "man's romance" multiple times.

"As amusing as this little byplay is," Enel continued, raising an eyebrow in amusement, "You all really should focus on the matter at hand. You see, only 5 of you can come with me to the Holy Land. The rest of you will be returned to the Blue Sea along with the rest of Skypiea. You may either decide amongst yourselves, or battle for the right. It is your decision."

The Shandians and Gan Fall were silent as they took in what Enel had just implied. Gan Fall had already had a sneaking suspicion, but this confirmed it.

"You demon," the knight growled. "You plan to destroy Skypiea, along with all of its inhabitants!?"

"That is the natural order of things, is it not?" Enel replied, sounding almost bored. "God is a destroyer. His job is to restore order. For mortals to live above the clouds, to thrive in the sky like gods...it's heresy, don't you think? It is only right that I return them to their natural environment."

Most of the Strawhats stared incredulously at the declaration. He spoke so casually about what could practically be considered genocide. Even Ohm looked surprised at this news, having heard nothing of it beforehand.

"Now," Enel continued, "which of you will come with me to Fairy Vearth, and which of you will return to the Blue Sea?" The tension skyrocketed as all parties involved gripped their weapons.

"I'll return to the Blue Sea," a voice spoke up, and everyone turned to stare at Luffy, who was cracking his knuckles. "After I kick your ass from here to Fairy Vearth, of course."

Enel looked amused. "How insolent."

"But before that, I have a question for you," Luffy continued. "Who was the other Blue Sea dweller that came here before us?"

Enel raised an eyebrow. "Why does that matter? Do you presume to know him? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You both have a tendency to provoke powers far beyond your understanding."

"You can tell me, or I can beat it out of you," Luffy said nonchalantly.

Enel stated laughing. "Oh, I'll definitely enjoy beating _that_ out of you, mortal," he exclaimed. "But if you really must know, I am not aware of his true name. Only that, if I remember correctly, he went by the moniker of Blackbeard."

Robin's eyes widened, while Zoro's narrowed.

"So, it's true then," Luffy muttered. "But that doesn't make sense." He looked at Enel as if trying to solve some sort of puzzle. "How are you even alive right now?"

Enel looked annoyed for the first time hearing that question. "Are you implying that he was a match for me? That fool never even made it to Giant Jack. Once he took down Shura, I found that my patience was beginning to wane, and decided to intervene. I'll admit, it was impressive that he survived my _El Thor_ that many times, but in the end, he and his pathetic crew retreated back to the Blue Sea like so many others." Enel cracked a smile. "I never had to leave God's Shrine!"

Surprisingly, this caused Luffy to start laughing. Enel grew confused at this reaction, but soon his annoyance returned.

"You'd be wise not to laugh at omnipotence, foolish monkey," he growled. Luffy calmed down and looked at Enel again.

"That explains it," he said. "Haki was never his strong suit. The idiot never even found you. I wonder if he even knew someone was attacking him, or if he just thought it was raining lightning over his head." Enel only scowled in response.

After that, the tension broke. Wiper made the first move, aiming his bazooka at Enel, but Ohm was quick to intercept the cannonball that he shot, which exploded against a large wall of iron that protruded out from his sword handle.

"God does not need to be bothered with you mortals. I'll be enough to finish this."

Wiper growled as he switched his bazooka to its 'burn' setting. Before he had a chance to fire it off, however, Ohm's iron cloud sword was chasing him, and he was forced to dodge out of the way. As the two got ready to clash again, they heard a loud hiss, and turned their heads upwards to the sight of the Master of the Sky glaring down at them. Wiper aimed his bazooka at her and fired, but the barrage of flames barely left a mark on the snake's scales as she swept her tail towards the two at an astounding speed. Wiper used his waver skates to maneuver out of the way, but Ohm wasn't as fast, and resorted to blocking with his iron cloud.

It didn't work.

The weapon shattered, barely cushioning the blow enough for Ohm to remain unharmed after being thrown off his feet. His mantra screamed at him, but he wasn't fast enough to prevent the fangs of the giant python from sinking into him.

Enel was, however.

Nola hissed in agony as she was hit by a lightning bolt and every muscle in her body started to spasm.

"It would seem that this is a little above your pay grade, Ohm," Enel mocked as he appeared next to the slightly shaken priest.

"You don't pay me," he retorted. The self proclaimed god laughed.

"Fair point," he conceded as he charged up another lightning blast, aimed at the still twitching python. There was a loud clap of thunder as he released it, and it shot towards the Master of the Sky in the span of a millisecond.

Enel's brow furrowed as he observed the result of his divine intervention. His lightning had stopped short of her. It had simply dispersed. But how? His eyes widened as the dust cleared, and two figures stood almost protectively in front of the snake. They each held an arm out, as if commanding the lightning to stop would achieve the desired results.

The crazy part was that it seemed to have worked.

Of the seven Blue Sea intruders, these were the only two that had yet to lift a finger since coming to Skypiea. Now they had, and Enel didn't like what he was seeing. To think they could stop one of his lightning attacks. They would have to be dealt with. He started charging up another, much more powerful lightning bolt, before unleashing it onto the two insolent mortals.

"_**Sango**__**.**_"

Zoro immediately drew Yubashiri from its sheathe and cleaved the lightning bolt down the middle, causing it to disperse again, but Enel was already following up by teleporting right next to the swordsman using his powers.

"_**Max 200 Million Volt Discharge!**_"

As the electricity surrounded him, Zoro waved his sword in a downward spiral.

"_**Fujin's Barrier.**_" A dense whirlwind howled to life around him, once again repelling the massive amounts of electricity closing in on him.

Enel teleported away, and stood facing the smirking swordsman with a gobsmacked expression.

As all the observers watched on in amazement, Nami was particularly interested in the encounter.

_He condensed a large amount of air into a whirlwind so that it would insulate the electricity. Air is one of the worst conductors. Add his armaments haki to the equation, and I'm not that surprised that Enel's attack was negated. _

"Guys!" Luffy shouted, getting the attention of the Strawhats. "You all got to fight already, so just leave this to Zoro and me!"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You mean we're going to team up? Isn't that overkill?"

"Hmm, you may be right," Luffy conceded. "So, how do we decide who gets him?"

In response, Zoro held out his fist. Luffy sweatdropped.

"Uh...you sure?" Zoro nodded.

The rubberman shrugged. "Ok then." Everyone but the Strawhats watched in incredulity as the two played rocks paper scissors. But even the Strawhats were in for a shock as they witnessed something they'd never seen before: Luffy's jaw dropping. "Wha–you–but–" he stuttered as Zoro grinned in satisfaction. "You always pick rock!" Luffy objected.

"Hmm? Oh, that," Zoro acknowledged. "Well, scissors is pretty good too. It cuts things, after all. So I thought I'd use a different strategy this time."

It was Luffy's turn to stare in incredulity. _The worst part is that I know he's serious…_

"There's no strategy in rocks paper scissors! It's supposed to be a chance game!"

"Hmph. The loser is talking shit to the winner as if he knows the game better," was the swordsman's reply.

Luffy's expression fell deceptively blank. "Right. I'm kicking your ass later," he said before walking away and standing next to the other Strawhats, some of whom were laughing.

Enel felt his patience wearing thin. "Such complacency! Don't think just because you stopped a few of my attacks that you can afford to take my lightly! I am _God!_"

"I'm not taking you lightly," Zoro replied as he drew a second sword. "It's just that you don't exist, and I don't lose to people who don't exist," he reasoned.

"This defiance has gone on long enough," the logia user seethed. "Prepare yourself, Blue Sea swordsman."

"Don't even think about it! Enel's head is mine!" Wiper roared as he too grew tired of their antics and charged at Enel. Unlike Gan Fall, who had stood aside in respect for the Strawhats, who he considered allies, Wiper had no qualms about interrupting a fight. However, he was intercepted by Ohm, who had drawn a smaller iron cloud sword, one that wasn't freeform.

Wiper blocked the sword with his bazooka and reached over the sword with his arm, pointing his palm at Ohm. The priest, assuming it was in Impact Dial, used mantra to dodge, leaping backwards, but Wiper was quick to fire another barrage of flames at him. He gritted his teeth as the heat from the attack he wasn't in a position to dodge reached him. Having lost his primary weapon was limiting him. He needn't have worried, however, as Enel once again intervened, teleporting in front of Ohm and casually repelling the flames by superheating the surrounding air, resulting in a clap of thunder.

"Your assistance is unneeded, Ohm. Stay back and observe," the ruler of Skypiea ordered. The priest obliged, backing away to a safe distance. Wiper wasted no time and ran at Enel again. Enel, assuming he could phase through the attack, stood still and readied another electrical discharge. His attack was halted, however, when Wiper jumped on him, using his legs to constrict his the lightning man's arms. Enel's eyes widened as his body was forcefully solidified. _Seastone!?_

"It's over," Wiper growled as he brought his palm to Enel's heart. "_**Reject!**_"

Enel's heart ceased to beat.

"What happened?" Usopp asked from the sidelines. "I thought Enel was a logia!"

"It would seem that Shandian came prepared," Robin said. "His skates are lined with seastone."

Luffy raised an eyebrow. _Is it over already?_ He turned to Zoro. Meeting his captain's eyes, the swordsman shook his head. Luffy turned back and continued to watch.

Wiper had once again wasted no time. Ignoring the immense damage to his arm, he aimed his bazooka at Ohm, who was shocked into indecision, and fired. The priest's cry of agony was drowned out by the roar of the flames that consumed him. As the flames died down, Ohm's charred and unconscious form was revealed. He looked to be barely alive.

Thinking the battle over, Wiper slumped to the ground in exhaustion, holding his shattered arm. He soon looked up, however, to the horrifying sight of Enel rising, small arcs of electricity circling around his chest.

"What a shame. Had you kept the seastone in contact until I lost consciousness, I actually would have perished," the logia stated. He gritted his teeth. "How unbefitting. Learn your place, mortal." He raised his arm into the air. "_**El Thor!**_"

The bolt of lightning rained down on the injured war demon, who was lost to a bright flash of light and a clap of thunder. When the attack subsided, the observers were shocked to Wiper rising to his feet through sheer force of will.

"Why do you stand, War Demon Wiper?" Enel mocked.

Breathing heavily, the Shandian answered, "For my ancestors." The other Shandians grew emotional hearing this, and attempted to run to Wiper's aid, but they were too slow, and were forced to watch in horror as Enel charged up another lightning blast.

"_**Kiten****!**_"

A large wolf shaped bolt of lightning shot towards Wiper, but was cut in half and dispersed.

Enel narrowed his eyes. "You again."

Zoro stood in front of Wiper, swords raised, as he glanced back at the heavily scorched warrior with a hint of respect. _A few more of those attacks would have killed him for sure. Still, it's impressive that he survived that. The dial he used before had some serious recoil. _

"Take a breather," he told the Shandian. "I'll take over from here."

Wiper, despite the intense pain he was in, gritted his teeth in annoyance.

Chopper came rushing over to him, Robin knowingly following behind just in case the warrior lashed out. When Chopper arrived with healing supplies, Wiper narrowed his eyes.

"I don't need your help, whatever you are," he growled. Chopper faltered.

"But...you're injured…" he protested.

"Shut up!" Wiper shouted. "Why do you care!? What does any of this have to do with you people anyway!?"

"If you must know, we're keeping a promise to a friend," Luffy replied.

"A friend?" Wiper asked. "What kind of promise would bring a Blue Sea dweller to the sky?"

Robin spoke up at that point. "400 years ago, there was a sailor from the Blue Sea, who was lured to the island of Jaya in the middle of a storm by the ringing of a rather loud bell." Wiper's eyes widened as he heard this, and Robin continued. "There, the sailor became good friends with one of the inhabitants of the island, although his name was never mentioned. They shared a promise that the sailor would one day return. Years later, he did, but the civilization had vanished completely. I'm sure you know what happened to that island."

Wiper swallowed thickly.

"Mere days ago, our crew made a promise with one of that sailor's descendents. We promised to ring the bell mentioned in that sailor's logbook to prove his authenticity."

"That descendent," Wiper spoke up. "What was his name?"

"Montblanc Cricket," Robin replied.

Hearing this, Wiper let out a heavy sigh. "Calgara," he said. Robin gave him a questioning look. "The great Shandian warrior, Calgara. That was the name of the man Noland befriended."

Robin smiled genuinely. "I see." They both turned back to the fight between Zoro and Enel, only to see that the swordsman was controlling the fight, but without actually attacking.

"You'll have to do more than defend if you want to defeat me!" Enel shouted as he let loose a _Thunder Bird_ and _Thunder Beast_ in quick succession. Zoro blocked them both with his two sword style.

"If you insist," he said, before swinging one sword at Enel and firing off a miniscule flying slash. The wind blade left a gash across Enel's cheek, shocking him to the core.

"H-how?" he stuttered.

"Complacent logias have short life spans, immortal or otherwise," Zoro stated, paraphrasing a common idiom from the New World.

Recovering from his shock, Enel raised the stakes. "_**Julungul****!**_" He roared, sending a huge dragon shaped lightning blast at Zoro.

"_**Two Sword Style, 720 Caliber Phoenix!**_" The wind overpowered the lightning once again, barreling through Enel's attack and hitting the logia dead on.

Enel gasped in pain as blood flowed from the open wound on his torso. "It...can't be…" rasped. As Zoro raised his sword again, Enel felt something he hadn't felt since long before the destruction of Birka: fear. His human survival instincts kicked in as Zoro ran towards him.

"_**One Sword Style, Great Dragon Shock**_." He tapped into reflexes he had long forgotten he had, vanishing from the swordsman's path in a crackle of electricity just before Yubashiri was swung through the space he had previously occupied.

Zoro looked out at the horizon, tracking Enel with his observation haki even as the lightning man retreated farther and farther away using his devil fruit powers. He raised his sword overhead using both arms, closing his eyes as he did so, and finally sensed Enel come to a stop.

"You're still within range," the swordsman mumbled, knowing Enel would hear him. Immediately, an El Thor began forming high over his head.

"Zoro watch out!" Usopp shouted, though it wasn't necessary. There were no fancy techniques this time; Zoro barely payed the oncoming assault any attention, he simply leapt out of the way of the lightning bolt before it came down. Standing off to the side in the same stance, Zoro swept his sword in a wide arc. "_**One Sword Style, Predator Missile!**_" The flying slash was launched over the horizon, cutting down any obstacles in its path, crossing the White White Sea, and finally arriving at the Angel Island shore, where it cleaved through Enel's abdomen effortlessly. The self proclaimed god sank to the ground, and the sand was dyed red by his very much human blood as he blacked out.

* * *

A/N: Done! I personally like this chapter better than the last one. I hope you all feel the same, and that it wasn't too anticlimactic. Until next time, Lost out.


	47. Bells of Gold and Tales of Old

Holy shit, last chapter got over 100 reviews. That makes chapter 46 the first chapter to officially hit the three digit mark. To celebrate, I'm making this chapter significantly longer than the usual.

...Along with pretty much every chapter to come since a lot of people have been asking for longer chapters.

Some people have also been asking whether Enel is dead or not. I'm not going to answer directly, but this chapter should give you all some insight into that. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XLVII: Bells of Gold and Tales of Old

"Hey, what's he doing?" Braham asked. "Is he really going to wake that thing up?"

"Beats me," Wiper said. "But he says he can help us find the golden bell, so let him be for now. I may not like them myself, but they've done a lot for Noland's descendent, so we'll treat them as allies." Braham nodded in agreement, and Laki, who had shown up a few minutes ago, supporting a severely injured Kamakiri, smiled in relief.

"What's this, Wiper? You're acting rather docile all of a sudden," she commented. Wiper shot her a look, but rather than flinch, she continued smiling, causing him to scoff.

"Even the best of warriors can recognize a ceasefire. I'm satisfied for now, but if the Skypieans think they can take our land again, I won't show any mercy," he said.

A loud mix between a hiss and a growl alerted them to the fact that Luffy had roused the Master of the Sky. The Shandians tensed as if preparing for an attack, but the giant reptile merely observed her surroundings before her eyes rested on Luffy expectantly. The rubber man grinned up at her.

"We kicked God's ass. Now we're gonna ring the bell, so be sure to listen!"

"Strawhat," Wiper called. "It's my goal to ring the bell as well, but first things come first. Are we sure Enel is really defeated?"

"He is," came a voice from behind him. The Shandians turned to see one of their own coming out of hiding. "I can hear his voice from here, but just barely. It's strange. Enel's voice has never been this quiet."

Wiper narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly are you doing here, Aisa?"

The girl gulped in fear. "I was–I mean–I heard everyone's voices gathered in one place, and I wanted to know what was going on…"

"Well, you're lucky you arrived after the battle ended," Kamakiri stated. "You could have been hurt otherwise."

"I don't need to be told that by you, Kamacrispy!" The girl exclaimed, sticking her tongue out.

The warrior unexpectedly smiled. "Cheeky little brat," he said, with a hint of fondness.

"So, back to the matter at hand…" Wiper said. "How do we know that he won't regain consciousness?" Wiper asked.

"If he does, we'll know," Luffy said. "But I don't think he will. If anything, Zoro went overboard a bit." He turned to the swordsman. "Are you sure he won't bleed out?"

Zoro nodded, and Luffy accepted the assurance. Out of the two of them, Zoro actually had the greater amount of discipline when it came to holding back. Although Luffy was slightly stronger, it was much easier to mistakenly kill someone with a sword than with bare fists. As a result, after years of honing his swordsmanship, Zoro had an abundance of restraint.

Even if he didn't always use it.

"Hey, Robin!" Luffy shouted. "Do you think you can figure out where the bell is?" Although he rang it in the previous timeline, he honestly didn't remember exactly where it was.

Robin thought for a moment. "When Jaya ascended passed the clouds, it most likely gained some altitude over the White-White Sea before falling back down. So unless it never made it to the sky, in which case Cricket-san probably would have found it, it would most likely be at an altitude far above the ruins." She turned to the Skypieans. "Have you checked the top of Giant Jack?" she asked.

"We never got a chance. Following the island's ascension, our ancestors were weakened from the change in altitude, and were quickly driven off of our land," Wiper said, somewhat bitterly. "But God's Shrine was built up there afterwards, so if it was up there, that old man would already have found it," he said, pointing to Gan Fall, who confirmed it wasn't up there.

"Are there any cloud formations above the White-White Sea?" Robin asked next.

Gan Fall rubbed his chin in thought. "There are a few rather small ones, but nothing nearly as large as the one we reside on."

"We should check those as well then," Robin suggested.

"There's only one problem," Laki said. "How do we get up there?"

"I can check," Luffy offered, before jumping up into the air and with Geppo and ascending passed the top of Giant Jack while searching for the cloud formation that he now remembered from the previous timeline.

It wasn't long before those gathered at the bottom heard a distant shout of "_**Gomu Gomu no…**_"

Nami's eyes widened. "Wait, is he going to–"

"_**Bell!**_"

A resonating melody echoed through Upper Yard, throughout Skypiea, passed the clouds, and beyond them. Some who heard it cheered; others cried with relief. A certain snake actually started dancing, much to the bemusement of those who were just now starting to grow accustomed to her presence. After 400 years of war and division, the Song of the Island had been heard once again.

At that moment, the sun was almost directly over Giant Jack, and a straw-hatted silhouette could be seen from Upper Yard below. Seeing this, Robin smiled, remembering her conversation with her captain from earlier today.

"_Hey Robin, I have a question for you," Luffy said. It was the morning after their bonfire party, and the Strawhats were now getting ready to set out to find the City of Gold. _

"_Yes, Captain-san?" Robin responded. _

"_Remember those gigantic shadows we saw near Jaya, when we first found out about Sky Island? The ones we nearly flipped our shit over?" he asked. _

"_I remember." _

"_Well, I have a theory about those." _

_As Robin listened to his explanation, a smile gradually formed on her face._

"_That's quite the impressive theory Captain-san. But I'd say there's only one to test it out."_

* * *

10,000 meters below the White-White Sea, on the island of Jaya, the last descendent of Montblanc Noland stared up at the sky wistfully.

"Message received, brat."

Towering over the island was a kilometer high silhouette in the fog, wearing a straw hat, back turned, arm raised, and flashing a thumbs up over his head.

* * *

"He really rang it…" Braham said. "To think the one who would signal the end of the war would be neither Shandian nor Skypiean."

"Such trivial things should matter not, at this point," Gan Fall reasoned. "Shandians and Skypieans alike owe their lives to those pirates."

"I just hope he heard it…" Wiper whispered, causing Laki to smile again behind him.

"Hey, it looks like he's coming down," Kamakiri noted.

When Luffy landed, he had a satisfied grin on his face. "How was that?" he asked.

"Thanks, Strawhat," Wiper said, uncharacteristically showing gratitude. "You helped light the fire of Shandora. We owe you one."

"No problem!" Luffy said. "But we have a small problem."

Braham looked back up at the cloud that Luffy had descended from. "You mean we can't get it down," he inferred.

"Right," Luffy confirmed. "I could probably get it down if I tried, but most likely not without breaking it. But I think I may have a solution. I saw something at the top of the beanstalk that might help us."

The group made its way up to the top of Giant Jack, and saw what Luffy was referring to. Enel had built a ship of some sort using the gold from the ancient city of Shandora. After a few moments of deliberation, Usopp guessed that it was powered by lightning, at which point the Strawhats all turned to Nami. Although her Clima-Tact couldn't conjure nearly enough electricity to bring the ship to full power, it was enough to be able to slowly bring it up to the bell, load it on, and lower it to the ground. It was a tedious process with Nami constantly having to recharge it, but they got it done nonetheless.

When they were done, Luffy looked up at the ship in thought. "So this is what Enel did with all the gold," he speculated. He then turned to Zoro. "Hey, do you think you can cut it up into pieces?" he asked. The question caught Nami's interest, and she turned to the swordsman as well.

"It won't be too hard," Zoro replied, causing Nami to shout in glee. "But will we be able to fit it all on the ship?"

This brought Nami back down to earth. "Not all of it. But still, it'll be a lot. I estimate the amount we'll be able to take will be worth around...1.2 billion belly!" Her eyes turned to belly symbols as Usopp sweatdropped.

"How do you know that?" he asked. "Just by looking?"

"Usopp, are you doubting my money sense?"

"You have a money sense?" The sniper asked in response.

"It's a gift. I was born with it."

"Wow, I wonder if it's a type of haki," Luffy said, causing Zoro to laugh. The swordsman then turned to Wiper.

"Hey, do you mind if we take some of this?" he asked. "It's worth a lot where we come from."

"The gold means nothing in that form," Wiper said, shrugging indifferently. "You can take as much as you want, as long as it's not from the bell."

"We are so sailing in style from now on!" Nami exclaimed.

Usopp looked down at his feet. "I just wish we could use it to repair the Merry, but…"

The reminder of their dilemma brought Nami out of her reverie, and she too looked disconcerted at the thought of having to buy a new ship. After a moment of silence, Luffy spoke up.

"Um...guys? I think we have another problem," he said, staring off at the horizon. Catching onto this, Sanji's eyes narrowed.

"Does it have to do with Enel?" he asked.

Luffy nodded. "I can't sense his aura anymore." Zoro's eyes widened, before he focused his senses in the same direction. After a moment, he started to look slightly uncomfortable. "I know I said I went overboard, but not _that_ much."

"I don't think it was you," said Luffy, frowning.

Wiper looked at them strangely, before turning to Aisa, who looked scared.

"They're right...his voice disappeared," she confirmed quietly.

Gan Fall's eyes widened as well. "So Enel is…" he trailed off.

"I'm going to go see what happened," Luffy decided, before shooting off into the atmosphere and heading in the direction of Angel Island.

* * *

When he arrived at the shore, he began looking around, trying to locate Enel. In retrospect, they should have known better than to just leave him here, surrounded by the people he'd oppressed all these years. But the false deity was still a logia. He didn't think he'd have anything to worry about. Finally, he spotted a figure lying sideways on the island cloud. Making a quick dash up to it, he grimaced. The injury from Zoro's attack was still there, but it wasn't bleeding, and it wasn't the problem.

The problem was the knife wound to the heart.

Sighing, Luffy walked up to Enel's body. He had to be sure.

There was no pulse. The corpse was cold to the touch.

Closing his eyes, he straightened up. For a short moment, the only sound to be heard was the howling of the wind through the sky high tropical paradise. Finally, Luffy spoke.

"Did you do this?" he asked without turning around.

"Yes," a voice from behind him replied. It was a voice he recognized. Turning around, he laid eyes upon a short elderly woman who met his gaze dead on. In her hand was a seastone knife, covered in dried blood.

It was Amazon, the gatekeeper to Skypiea. And to have known so quickly that Enel was vulnerable, and to have been able to locate him…

"You're a mantra user?" he asked, despite already knowing the answer. The woman nodded. Luffy was silent for a moment. "Why?" he asked finally. He didn't care for Enel. He wasn't about to preach to anyone about how every life was sacred. He wasn't that pure. He was simply curious.

"Until six years ago, there was a sky island nearby this one. It was a land called Birka. Birka was home to some of the most accomplished mantra users in the sky. Among them were Enel and a group of four that would one day become his priests. Six years ago, Enel laid waste to that land using the Goro Goro no Mi. It was complete annihilation, and to this day, there are no survivors." She had an intent gleam in her eye. "At least, no more than one. A simple old woman who survived the genocide. One who had had a home, and a family. A daughter, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren."

Amazon turned around, dropping the knife in the process, and began to walk away. Luffy turned around, hoisted Enel's body over his shoulder, and waded through the White-White sea until he was knee-deep in the milky sea cloud, before laying Enel's body down in the water to be swept away. Returning to shore, he picked up the knife, staring at it for a moment before taking off into the air again.

* * *

Luffy arrived back at Upper Yard to face the questioning looks of everyone gathered there. When asked what the verdict was, he simply presented the blood-covered sea stone knife in explanation. No one questioned him further.

A couple hours after the events that would come to be known as the liberation of Skypiea, the Shandians and Skypieans alike were celebrating. Grateful for the end of the war, the Shandian chief allowed them to spend the night there, and even come and go as they pleased, provided that they did not attempt to take the land for themselves again. Gan Fall, who was soon appointed the title of God again, readily agreed to these terms.

The Strawhats also joined in on the celebrations, needless to say. It wasn't long before they got another bonfire going.

"Staring into the face of the enemy, I knew I would have to end it quickly!" Usopp recounted to the crowd of Skypieans that had gathered around for the tale of Captain Usopp's victory over God Enel. "Repelling a barrage of lightning bolts with my slingshot, that's when I said: 'Listen up, God Enel! Complacent Logias have short lifespans!'"

"Hey, hey," a certain swordsman protested from where he was having a drinking contest with the Shandian warrior, Braham.

"You just...don't go down...do you?" the gunman asked sluggishly.

"Well, that's my First Mate for you," Luffy boasted proudly. "The only one who can drink him under the table is me, after all." Said First Mate scoffed.

"Dream on, rubber brain, dream on."

It wasn't hard to guess who the next drinking contest would be between.

"Hey, can I get in on this?" another Shandian warrior asked.

"Wiper," Braham greeted. "Have your injuries healed?"

"I'll be fine for now," Wiper replied. He was covered in bandages, and his arm was in a sling. "That little raccoon guy can be pretty strict. Wouldn't let me rip these off even when I said I was fine." Zoro silently sympathized with the man's troubles.

"Oh hey, Strawhat, I meant to give you something," Wiper said, causing Luffy to look at him curiously. Wiper threw him a dial, which he caught.

"This is…"

"My reject dial," Wiper said. "Your friend with the long nose was trading for some dials. They don't have them on the Blue Sea, right? I won't need it anymore, so consider it a gift."

Luffy grinned. "Ok, sure! Thanks."

* * *

Early the following morning, Robin was making her way towards Giant Jack. There was something she needed to confirm, and the golden bell just may be the key. When she arrived at the base of the beanstalk, she caught sight of the Shandians cleaning off the bell as the Chief observed, staring at an inscription in the side. Gan Fall was there as well.

"What do you think it says, Chief?" one of the Shandians asked.

"I cannot decipher it," he answered. "But it is not part of our duty to know–"

"Keep thy motives in heart, with closed mouth. We are those who will weave history with the ringing of the great belfry."

The chief turned to her in shock. "How do you know those words?" he asked.

"They were written on the ancient ruins of Shandora," she answered as she walked up to the bell.

"You...can decipher that ancient language?" the chief asked in amazement.

"I'm the only one left who can," she replied absently. _I was right. There's a poneglyph embedded in the side. _

"Then, do you know what that says?" Another Shandian asked, pointing to the inscription.

"It reveals the location of the ancient weapon, Poseidon," came a voice from behind them.

Robin turned around in surprise. "Luffy!"

"He can read it too?" the chief asked incredulously.

"No, I can't. I can hear it," Luffy corrected, before turning to his archaeologist.

"Don't lose hope just yet, Robin. Check the other inscription." Eyes widening, Robin turned back to the bell and caught sight of the writing on the bottom.

"_I have come here and will lead this passage to the farthest ends of the world. – _Gol D. Roger."

"So Roger came here too, huh?" Luffy concluded out loud.

"Roger," Gan Fall spoke up. "Do you know him?"

"He was quite famous among pirates in the Blue Sea," Robin answered.

"Was?" Gan Fall asked.

"He was executed 22 years ago," Luffy supplied.

"I see. What a shame. He was a good man. I still remember when he came to visit, just over 24 years ago. He had quite the lively crew as well," Gan Fall reminisced.

"So that means the Pirate King found this poneglyph 24 years ago," Robin said. Her brow furrowed. "_Will lead this passage to the farthest ends of the world…" _Her eyes widened. "Is it possible? The Rio Poneglyph…"

"On Raftel," Luffy concluded with a smirk. "Works out pretty well, doesn't it?"

"Luffy..." Robin wasn't sure what to say, so instead she turned towards the Shandian chief.

"Chief, this poneglyph has already achieved its purpose," she stated, causing his eyes to widen. "There are many poneglyphs scattered throughout the world. It seems one must link them all together in order to reveal the True History, something which only the Pirate King succeeded in doing."

"So then...we no longer have to fight?" the chief asked with tears in his eyes. "The will of our ancestors has been fulfilled?"

Robin smiled. "That is correct." As the chief regained his composure, Robin turned back to Luffy. "Captain-san...who are you, really?" she asked. Luffy stared ahead, not meeting her eyes.

"What a silly question. You know who I am," he said.

Robin let out a sigh. "And you know a lot of things that you shouldn't–_couldn't_–know," she replied. "You knew about Crocodile's plans before you even arrived at Whiskey Peak…" At Luffy's raised eyebrow, she added a little guiltily, "I was listening in once you came in contact with Princess Vivi. Not only that, but you were able to anticipate Crocodile's moves and outwit him on multiple occasions, as if you were familiar with how he thought, or you had inside information from the beginning. But I would have known if you had managed to infiltrate Baroque Works. You are also impossibly strong for a rookie, and now it seems you already knew about the Rio Poneglyph. Then...there's the fact that you made contact with the Revolutionary Army on Jaya."

Luffy couldn't help but smile in amusement. "You think I'm a Revolutionary?"

"I've considered the possibility, even if you don't really seem like the type," Robin said.

He let out a dry laugh. "You know, all things considered, it's not a bad guess. But if I wanted to hand you over to them, don't you think I would have done it back then?"

Robin looked down. "I didn't mean to imply anything like that...I just can't help but be curious. There's so much about you that's a mystery, even to the other crew members. The only one who seems to know is Swordsman-san."

"Well, I might as well tell you that I'm not with Dragon. I'm my own man," Luffy said, before sighing. "You're right. We've been hiding things, Zoro and I. Nami and Sanji have begun to suspect it too, no doubt. It pertains to the entire crew, which is why I really wish we could just tell you. But we can't...not yet." He looked at her. "But still...I don't want you to feel as if you can't ask. You can come to us about anything. That applies to everyone in the crew."

Robin smiled. "I know."

* * *

"Jeez, what's taking Luffy and Robin so long?" Zoro asked. He had already cut up all the gold and loaded it onto the ship with Sanji's help. "Alright, set sail. We're leaving without them," he announced, only to have to dodge a kick from the chef.

"As if, you shitty swordsman! We're not leaving without Robin-chan!"

"Or Luffy," Usopp added.

"Whatever!"

"You wanna fight, you stupid cook?" Zoro asked. "You tried to kick me, so I assume you wanna fight."

"Bring it on, shitty moss-head!" Sanji shouted, not backing down.

"Yeah, bring it on, shitty moss-head!" Chopper echoed happily. Zoro glared at the reindeer, causing him to hide behind Sanji...the wrong way.

"Hey look, there they are!" Nami shouted. The crew turned to see Luffy and Robin making their way to the ship.

"Hey guys! Are we ready to set sail?" The captain asked.

"Yes, the log is set." Nami replied.

"Alright then. In that case…" He turned to the crowd of Skypieans that was seeing them off. "See you later, everyone!"

"Bye, Luffy-aniki!" Aisa shouted. "Don't fall to your deaths!"

"We won't!" Luffy assured her. The others, minus Zoro, were wondering what they were talking about. The rest of the Skypieans cheered for them as they raised anchor. They were about to set the tail, but Gan Fall told them to keep it furled.

Suddenly, the South Bird that they had released when they arrived flew back onto the ship. After a brief conversation with Chopper, the reindeer relayed that the bird had wanted to meet the gigantic members of its own kind that resided in the sky. Apparently, its business was done now.

"Everyone hang on tight," Zoro said as the ship approached Cloud's End.

"Oh," Nami said as grabbed hold of the mast. "You mean it's going to be another milky cloud ride?"

Luffy smirked. "Something like that."

The Going Merry fell off of Sky Island.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Nami screamed as the rest of the crew started to panic, and Luffy started laughing. Suddenly, the ship's descent was slowed as it was seized by a giant octopus which took the shape of a balloon, essentially functioning as a parachute.

"I thought we were gonna die," Usopp wheezed from his prone position on the deck of the ship.

"Why didn't you warn us if you knew!?" Nami shouted indignantly.

"That wouldn't have been as fun!" Luffy answered, before proceeding to dodge his navigator's punches and run around the deck as she chased him.

"Well, that got the adrenaline pumping," Sanji said as he lit a cigarette. Suddenly, the crew quieted.

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Chopper asked. Listening to the sound from above, they soon realized it was the sound of the golden bell being rung. The message was clear.

_Come back any time._

* * *

It had been about an hour of floating downwards, and the Strawhats were getting ready to have lunch. It was then that the crew noticed Luffy staring out the window, brow furrowed.

"Hey Luffy, what's up?" Zoro asked. Luffy turned to him.

"Zoro, do you sense another presence on this ship?" he asked, much to the bewilderment of the crew. Zoro closed his eyes and focused, before opening them again.

"Nope. It's just us, as far as I can tell," he replied.

Luffy hummed in thought before making his way outside. The rest of the crew followed behind out of curiosity. Luffy walked over to Nami's tangerine grove and reached his hand toward the vines.

"Hey, Luffy! You better not take one without asking!" The navigator shouted.

But when Luffy pulled his hand back, the fruit he was holding wasn't a tangerine.

"Is that…?" Robin asked, eyes wide.

"It's definitely a devil fruit," Luffy confirmed. "I can feel the ominous aura radiating from it."

"You can sense devil fruits too?" Sanji asked. "But why couldn't Zoro?"

"It's something unique to him," the swordsman replied.

"And a few others," Luffy said. "But anyway, that means this is…" he trailed off.

"The Goro Goro no Mi," Robin finished. "It must have reincarnated when Enel died. To think we'd get our hands on one of the most powerful Logias in existence."

"Yeah...but does anyone here want to eat it?" Usopp asked. There were no volunteers. Of the seven of them, three were devil fruit users already, and the rest had their own fighting styles they wanted to improve, as well as wanting to be able to swim.

"So, what can we do with it?" Chopper asked.

Suddenly, Nami's eyes glowed. "Wait! Don't those sell for 100 million belli?" She asked excitedly.

"Only if they're unidentified," Robin answered. "But this one is fairly well-known, and we'd know what we'd be selling. A Logia this powerful could sell for 2 billion, most likely more." Nami actually started drooling.

"Ok, before we get any ideas, who would we even sell it to that would be able to pay that much?" Zoro asked skeptically.

"The only people that come to mind are the Marines," Sanji said.

"I'd say that's out of the question," Robin said. "Even if they didn't try to just arrest us and confiscate it…"

"We'd be promoting one of their vice admirals, which isn't really something we need to deal with," Luffy said, completing the thought.

"So what does that leave?" Nami asked.

"The black market," Sanji replied. "But even then, we don't know what kind of sketchy character we'd be helping out."

"So we can't sell it," she concluded, a raincloud forming over her head that did not originate from her Clima-Tact.

"For now, we'll just hold onto it," Luffy decided. "Don't mention it to anyone until we can figure out what to do with it."

It was another few minutes before the Going Merry finally met the waters of the Blue Sea once again.

"You know, now that we're back down here…" Usopp began.

"It almost feels like a dream," Robin agreed.

"Guys, I think we have a problem," Luffy said.

"What is it?" Nami asked. Suddenly, multiple spotlights focused in on their ship, and the Strawhats looked up to see that they were shining from the surrounding rock formations, which upon second glance, they seemed to be stranded by.

"That," Luffy said.

They had landed in the middle of a Marine base.

* * *

A/N: And we're done! I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to the Sky Island arc. Until next time.


	48. Operation Strawhat Outbreak

Before we get started, I thought I'd make one thing clear: In Luffy and Zoro's previous timeline, the Strawhats never wound up in G8 after Skypiea. So while the previous timeline followed the canon, with the Going Merry landing next to Long Ring Long Land, this timeline will include _some _filler. As a result, Luffy and Zoro don't know about the G8 base beforehand.

And...start!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XLVIII: Operation Strawhat Outbreak

Halfway through the sea known to some as Paradise, there stood a Marine base on the island of Navarone. Said island was actually more of a city-sized rock formation in the middle of the ocean. In its center was a mountain, which had been modified to accommodate the marines' everyday activities, surrounded on all sides by seawater, but the body of water was isolated from the rest of the ocean by a circular wall of rock. Thanks in part to its unconventional structure, G8 was was known for being the most high security Marine facility in the entire first half of the Grand Line, if you didn't count Marineford, of course. As a stronghold, it was impregnable, and as a prison, it was inescapable.

Or so they say.

It was around midday, and a few lower-ranked officers were making their regular patrols around the base, while singing their customary song to show their pride as G8 Marines.

"_I don't know, but I've been told!" _one chanted.

"_I don't know, but I've been told!" _two others chorused.

"_G8's one hell of a stronghold!" _

"_G8's one hell of a stronghold!" _

"_Pirates can attack until the sun goes down!" _

"_Pirates can attack until the sun goes down!" _

"_Navarone's pride will turn them right back 'round!" _

"_Navarone's pride will turn them right back 'round!" _

"_Sound off!" _

"_G8!" _

"_Sound off!"_

"_G8!" _

"_Sound off–" _

"Geez mate," the last soldier grumbled tiredly. "Will you give it a rest already? That's not even a real soundoff. Stop making the newbies do ridiculous things."

"Oh, not again, man!" protested the soldier that was leading the chorus, who for sake of convenience will be called Optimistic Marine A. "You're always ruining my soundoffs! And you're giving the new guys the wrong idea! There's nothing wrong with flaunting our proud G8 pride!"

"Who are you flaunting for anyway?" asked the other, who will be referred to as Skeptical Marine B. "There's no one here but G8 Marines." _Proud G8 pride? How did I get stuck on watch duty with this guy again? _

"It's not that! The song is crucial for maintaining morale!" Optimistic Marine A argued.

"Morale for what? Face it, we haven't had a pirate attack in years. What pirate wants to stop in the middle of the Grand Line just to attack a Marine base that takes in injured soldiers and repairs Marine ships? I'm not saying our role isn't important, but the chances of a pirate attack are slim to none," Skeptical Marine B reasoned.

"What kind of attitude is that? You always have to be ready regardless! You never know when pirates might drop in out of the sky!" Optimistic Marine A claimed.

Skeptical Marine B sighed. "If that ever happens, let me know and I'll sing that little sound off while I charge headlong into battle."

"Hey, uh, guys?" one of the two newer Marines spoke up, getting their attention. "What's that in the sky?" The other three Marines followed his finger towards a large object that seemed to be floating down into the middle of the stronghold.

Skeptical Marine B started to sweat. "...That could be anything."

"It looks like a ship to me," the other new guy observed.

"...It could be anyone."

"Isn't that a pirate's Jolly Roger?" the first newbie asked.

"...Shit."

* * *

"Alright guys, don't panic," Usopp said. "For all they know, it could be anyone."

"Remember that time you drew our Jolly Roger on the sails?" Nami asked rhetorically. "It hasn't gone anywhere."

"...Shit."

* * *

Vice Admiral Jonathan of Marine Headquarters, the commanding officer of the G8 Marine base, was enjoying a midday fishing trip when he sighted a small pirate ship floating leisurely down into Navarone's waters, being suspended by a giant balloon octopus. Said ship had now been sighted by the entire Marine base, but wasn't making any aggressive or even evasive moves. It simply floated in the water idly, waiting for the full force of G8 to come down on it.

"...Well shit."

* * *

"Sighted at 4 o'clock!" a Marine Warrant Officer shouted from atop the center rock formation.

As another Marine, a Chief Petty Officer, zoomed in on the ship, he dropped his binoculars. "That pirate flag...the skull is wearing a straw hat!"

Soon, there was an announcement heard throughout the base.

"_Attention all personnel!_ _Man your stations and prepare for battle! Navarone has been infiltrated by the Strawhat Pirates!" _

Dozens of Marine soldiers lined the rocks, taking aim at the small vessel that was floating harmlessly in the water.

"Do not attempt to resist!" shouted the voice of a Lieutenant from a megaphone. "Your are completely surrounded! Surrender peacefully!"

There was no answer. Not even a stirring.

Vice Admiral Jonathan walked calmly towards his office, where he could sense Lieutenant Commander Drake already waiting for him.

"It seems there's quite the commotion out there," he said absently as he walked in.

"Vice Admiral! Where have you been?"

"I was fishing," he replied lazily.

"At a time like this?" Drake asked.

"Well, it's not like I knew we'd be invaded. Don't worry about it. My fishing trips are never wasted."

A Marine barged into his office and gave a quick salute. "Sir, I've finished conducting debriefings of the soldiers and dock mechanics who witnessed the invasion," he said.

"Oh? That was quick," Jonathan commented. "So what's the verdict?"

The Marine sweatdropped. "Well...according to them…"

Drake grew impatient. "What is it? Get on with the report!"

"Yes sir. Well…they say they saw a ghost," the Marine stammered, thinking back to the chaotic debriefing.

"_Like I said! It floated down from the sky!" _

"_There was this furry monster. It jumped off the ship, and then it was gone." _

"_Hands! Hands just sprouted all over me, and then everything went black!" _

"_There was this weird wind surrounding the ship, we couldn't get close!" _

"_The soldiers that went to investigate suddenly fell unconscious, but there was no one else there!"_

"_There was this really creepy call!"_

"_**IT'S A GHOST SHIP!**__" _

"Preposterous!" Drake shouted. "That is without a doubt the sailing vessel of the Strawhat Pirates! There's no way it's a ghost ship! And you expect me to believe it just floated down from the sky?"

"Actually, that's the one thing we know for sure," Jonathan stated.

* * *

"Great. We're so screwed," Nami bemoaned. "Not only were we forced to leave all the gold on the ship, but the devil fruit too! Even if we get out of here, how are we going to get those back!"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Zoro dismissed. "I doubt there's anyone in this whole base that can stand up to us anyway."

"Still, it wouldn't be prudent to go fighting our way through Navarone," Robin said. "It would pay to be more discreet. For now, they won't do anything with the gold, other than keep it hidden from us, or perhaps use it to lure us out. I'm a little disconcerted about the Goro Goro no Mi, however. There's no telling what they'll do with that."

"Don't worry about the devil fruit," Luffy said with a smirk. "I took care of it. For now, we just need to get the gold back, and also figure out a way out of here." He stood up from where they were crouched in the forest area near the water. "To be honest, it would be boring if we just brute forced our way out. It's what we do every time," he said. "What do guys say we try to exercise our sense of strategic planning this time around?"

"We have a sense of strategic planning?" Chopper asked excitedly.

Robin giggled. "Let's find out. So, what's the plan, Captain-san?"

Luffy thought for a moment. "Alright. Operation Strawhat Outbreak will consist of three phases." He turned and faced his crewmates. "Phase 1: Blend in. This place should have an infirmary for sick or injured soldiers. Chopper and Nami, disguise yourselves as a doctor and nurse. Chopper will actually know what he's doing when it comes to treating wounds. Nami, you're good at infiltration, so make sure Chopper doesn't blow his cover. Occupy yourselves with that until we're ready to leave. You'll know when that is, since there will be a signal."

The two nodded, and Luffy turned to Sanji. "You and I will pretend to be chefs. It'll be easy for you since you're a damned good one. As for me…"

"You want to eat the food," Sanji guessed. Luffy nodded, and the chef sighed. "...Got it."

Luffy turned to Usopp next. "I need you to keep an eye on the ship. According to Robin, this place repairs damaged Marine ships, so disguise yourself as a dock mechanic. Zoro will be in the area, but he won't join you since he'll stand out too much with those three swords of his." Usopp saluted. Finally, Luffy turned to Robin. "You're probably the best at this stuff, so I need you to pretend to be someone of high standing. If you succeed, vouch for the others if you have to."

"Roger, Captain," Robin said with a smile.

"Phase 2: Gather intel. Blending in will just be stalling if we don't figure out a way out of here. So once you guys are in position, ask around and see if there's a way to sail out of the base," He got nods all around.

"Phase 3: Outbreak. That should speak for itself. Any questions?" There were none. "Now then...the signal for Outbreak will be..."

* * *

Vice Admiral Jonathan walked down a hallway with Lieutenant Commander Drake and a couple other officers at his side. "It seems the ship has been to the island of Jaya recently," Jonathan revealed. "The call we heard was that of a South Bird. It was the one we saw flying away from the ship upon our arrival. Those birds are native to the dense forests of Jaya. Now listen to this. On that island there's a legend about an ancient city of gold. Sound familiar?"

One of the officers listened with wide eyes. "All that gold we found on board...I knew it had to come from somewhere. But what are the chances?"

"I would normally say slim, but the facts speak for themselves. Needless to say, that's no ghost ship. The Strawhat pirates passed by Jaya on their way here."

"Sir, I have a recommendation," said Drake. "We should organize a search team to track down their crew at once. Please assign my team to the task!"

"Well, let's not be hasty," Jonathan replied. "For now, we need to strengthen our defenses so they can't slip in or out. You," he said, turning to an Ensign. "Fortify our defenses around the bay and sea gate."

"Yes sir," the Marine said before walking away.

"You fortify the penitentiary and the central corridor," he said to a Lieutenant. "You'll also be in charge of assigning personnel." The officer saluted before taking his leave.

"Lieutenant Commander, wait an hour and then thoroughly search any areas where large groups of people gather," he instructed.

"Large groups of people?" Drake questioned.

"That's right. To hide a tree, use a forest. If the Strawhat Pirates were to disguise themselves as Marines..."

Drake gasped in realization.

"I'm not saying I don't trust your men's abilities, but there's a strong possibility that the pirates will conceal themselves with stolen uniforms," Jonathan finished. "Start with the mess halls. Pirates are usually a ravenous bunch."

"Yes sir," Drake replied before leaving in haste. Jonathan turned toward the window, from which he had a view of the Strawhats' ship, deep in thought.

_The South Bird was carrying something._

* * *

In a quiet, isolated hallway, a lone Marine made his patrol around the base, rifle in hand. As he walked through the secluded corridor, he couldn't help but get the sneaking suspicion that he was being followed. He stopped walking and listened, but there wasn't a noise to be heard. Shrugging it off, he continued walking, only to hear a second set of footsteps coming from behind him.

Ok, that wasn't his imagination.

He swiftly turned around, but there was nothing there. He swallowed and turned around to continue walking, only to hear the footsteps again. He stopped in his tracks, and this time, the footsteps continued after he stopped walking. Eyes widening, he turned around again, rifle loaded. Again, there was nothing.

"I'm going batshit insane out here…" he muttered before turning back around.

He came face to face with a smiling Monkey D. Luffy.

He didn't even have time to utter a sound before he blacked out.

* * *

Zoro watched from afar as Usopp walked over to a group of ship mechanics who were loading in the Going Merry, claiming to be new. It had been easy enough for them to secure a Marine uniform. The sniper probably could have done it himself. His presence was just overkill. Still, even if Usopp could lie with the best of them, he had a terrible poker face once he aroused any suspicion. So he was basically here to shadow the undercover mechanic while he gained access to their ship. Easy enough.

He kept a firm lock on Usopp's aura as the sniper climbed onto the Going Merry and out of sight.

* * *

Nami inwardly sighed as she got ready to tend to another patient. Upon arriving at the infirmary, they had realized that there was only one doctor, and the nurses were frantically trying to gain control over the situation since there were Marines that had come in wounded from a naval battle. The problem was that the only doctor was a woman who got completely queasy at the thought of blood. It had taken an inspirational speech from Chopper just to get her to cope, and now the saintly little reindeer seemed more preoccupied with treating the marines than anything. Which meant that the task of gathering information fell to her.

"Kobato-sensei?" she spoke up, gaining the attention of the now focused woman who had finished operating. "I was wondering. These injured marines came in from sea right? How is it that they let people in and out of Navarone? Isn't the lake isolated from the ocean?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" Kobato asked, causing Nami to sweat. She had to assume that anyone stationed at G8 would know that already. "It's not a lake. The waters of Navarone are connected to the sea through a small channel that runs through the island on the southwest side. They use the gates in that channel to let people in and out."

Nami breathed a sigh of relief as the next patient came in. _Thank God. This woman is completely oblivious._

* * *

"So, you two are the Marley brothers," said a stern-looking woman who Sanji guessed was the head chef.

_Marley brothers? Were those the two poor excuses for chefs that we knocked out and stuffed in the closet before stealing their uniforms?_ Sanji thought.

"Yep, that's us," the chef answered, while Luffy, being a terrible liar, opted to remain silent.

"That food looks really good. Can I eat some?" he asked instead, causing Sanji to inwardly groan. Chefs weren't supposed to eat the food they prepared. It seemed his captain simply couldn't help himself sometimes.

"As if. That food is being prepared for the marines of G8," Jessica, the head chef answered. "And if you're going to be stationed here, know that you'll have to prove yourselves to me first. I won't let you call yourself a chef of Navarone if you lack the heart and soul."

Sanji hummed. "So, in other words, you want to show us a thing or two about cooking," he inferred.

"Nothing so discourteous," she replied. "I simply want to know how deep your pride runs. I'll give anyone a chance to prove themselves, even stuck up chefs from Mariejois. But if you don't have the skills we expect, you'll be nothing but a nuisance to the other chefs."

"Sounds interesting, Mademoiselle," Sanji said, before smirking. "I accept your challenge."

* * *

Robin hid stealthily behind a wall as she watched the new arrival, who had just disembarked from the ship that had docked, argue with a young marine soldier.

"As I said, I have no obligation to tell you my rank and attachment," the man said with an air of importance. "Bring me to the commanding officer of this base at once."

"I'm sorry, but Vice Admiral Jonathan is currently eating lunch, and it is against G8's policy to interrupt a Marine's meal except in case of extreme urgency."

"So in other words, you're saying that a man's lunch is more important than the matters I have to address?" the other man asked threateningly.

"Yes, that is correct sir," the Marine answered.

Robin couldn't help herself as a small smile graced her lips. _I have to give props to that Marine._

The new arrival wasn't amused however. "Fine, I'll get in contact with command center myself. By the way, you may want to consider which backwater post you'd like to be transferred to," he said as he walked away, causing the young Marine to grimace a bit.

Robin followed after the man silently. _Luffy did say to impersonate someone of high standing. Hopefully this man isn't just full of hot air. As it happens, I may just be aiding that young upstart's career in the process._

* * *

Sanji sighed. It was still early in the afternoon, but he had yet to actually gather any information. He had gotten so caught up in cooking and wooing Jessica that he'd forgotten about the intel part. Still...Luffy didn't seem to care. In fact, he was in heaven.

"New boy! Touch that plate and I'll have your head! You got that?"

"Yes ma'am!" Luffy saluted, despite the fact that he was still drooling over the plate of meatballs that Sanji had just prepared.

Sanji chuckled. "Well, at least she's not turning a blind eye to it anymore," Sanji commented. "I know she's taken a liking to him for his appetite, but there are limits."

"Oh, that's not why," one chef remarked slyly. "It's just that plate is for her husband."

"Her husband?" Sanji asked. "Damn. So, who's this luckiest bastard in Navarone then?"

"It's the commanding officer, Vice Admiral Jonathan," the chef replied. Sanji's eyes widened.

_Just our shitty luck._

* * *

Luffy stood across from a laidback looking man who was staring down at the meatballs in interest.

"Enjoy your meal!" he said with a grin.

"Of course, thank you," the man replied before eating the first bite. Luffy turned to walk away. He really wanted to eat what was on that plate, and would have, if not for the fact that the man in front of him radiated power. To be more precise, around the level of power of an experienced vice admiral.

_So, he's the commanding officer here. Man, those meatballs looked so good. Oh well, too bad. I guess I'll keep my cover for now. _

"You know, Strawhat Luffy…"

_Or not. _

"Now that I see you in person, you really don't seem like the type to break into marine bases. Would you mind telling me what your objective here is?"

He really should have suppressed his aura. Hindsight was such a bitch.

"Well, since you know who I am…" Luffy began as he turned back around. "There's no longer any reason for me not to eat those meatballs!"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, these? Here, you can have the rest," he offered, pushing his plate forward.

"Hey, thanks! You're a pretty nice guy," Luffy exclaimed, before digging in.

"One could almost say the same about you," Jonathan commented. "Freeing an island from Arlong's rule, saving the desert kingdom of Alabasta from Crocodile's clutches. You have yet to actually do anything notorious other than evade capture. The World Government wants your head simply because it's their unspoken policy to capture anyone with strength such as yours who isn't affiliated with them. Anyone with your level of power is either a marine, a government agent, or a threat."

"They do tend to think that way," Luffy agreed with a mouth full of food.

"So then, is there any particular reason why you decided to invade our humble base? I must say, your method of transportation was quite original."

"Oh, that," Luffy acknowledged. "To be honest, it was an accident. We were coming back down from Sky Island and our octopus balloon just happened to land us in the middle of your humble base."

"Well, that's quite the eccentric tale," Jonathan said in amusement. "So, in other words, you weren't infiltrating at all. Nevertheless, since you're wanted pirates, it is sadly our duty to capture you here."

"Yeah, that sucks," Luffy agreed again as he finished the food on the plate.

"You don't seem to be very worried. Is that arrogance or confidence?" Jonathan couldn't help but ask.

Luffy shrugged. "You found me, but the rest of my crew is still hidden. You might have a plan to find them, but if you do, I'll know. For now I'd like to see how things play out, but if worst comes to worst, I'll just destroy the island."

"I see," Jonathan said with a hint of amusement. "And if I capture you here?"

"Then Zoro will destroy the island," Luffy said as he set the plate down. "But…" he smirked. "That's assuming you can capture me."

* * *

"Hey, you," Lieutenant Commander Drake called out, causing Usopp to freeze in his tracks. "Are you new here? What's your rank?"

"Uh, Seaman First Class?" Usopp said, not knowing that many Marine ranks.

"Is that a question? The backbone on these new recruits is awe inspiring," Drake drawled. "Fine, what's your attachment?"

"U-Unit 18," Usopp said randomly.

"Unit 18 is the Sniper Corps, I believe. Don't you know this dock is off limits except to the mechanics?"

"Oh, that's right! I'm in the Sniper Corps, so what am I doing here?" Usopp exclaimed. "Sorry, you know us new recruits. Well, I'll just be on my way then," he said, as a certain swordsman in the shadows palmed his face in irritation.

"No need. Men, arrest him," Drake said. Usopp shrieked as he was surrounded by Marines pointing rifles at him. "Just so you know, Unit 18 is the Supply Division," the veteran officer mocked as he turned and began to walk away.

As the marines began leading Usopp away, a figure leapt out from behind the Going Merry. In a fraction of a second, Drake's men were left staring at their bisected guns in shock.

"Sorry to cut n' run," Zoro said with a smirk, before he pulled Usopp away, and swung his sword in a downward arc. A fierce wind roared to life around the two, causing the Marines to shield their faces, and when it settled down, they were gone.

A vein visibly bulged in Drake's forehead. To his left, another Marine officer snickered. "Cut n' run, I get it," he said, chuckling. Drake glared at the Master Chief Petty Officer, who simply turned his head away and started whistling.

* * *

Vice Admiral Jonathan stared out the window that Strawhat Luffy and his chef friend, who had turned out to be Black Leg Sanji, had escaped through. The pirate captain was much faster than he would have guessed. What's more, he was seemingly able to use Rokushiki, or at least two of its forms. It was mid-afternoon now, and it would be troubling if he the pirate captain found what he was looking for before nightfall. This would require further meditation.

"Vice Admiral, an officer has arrived from Marine Headquarters and requests to speak with you. She declined to reveal her rank and attachment," reported an officer at the door.

"Very well, send her in," Jonathan said.

"Hello, Vice Admiral," greeted the woman, whose face Jonathan easily recognized. "My name is Inspector Shephard. I am here to conduct a full inspection of your facility on behalf of Marine Headquarters."

"Ah, come in, Inspector. I was told you'd be coming. Is there anything you'll be needing to aide in your inspection?" Jonathan asked.

Robin inwardly groaned at the tone of his voice. _He knows who I am. It's times like these when I wish I wasn't so recognizable. _

"I'll be requiring use of your library for records of your structural and design mechanics," Robin said, keeping up the act.

"Of course. Ensign, lead her to the library, if you please."

As she was lead away, Robin's eyes narrowed. _He knows who I am, and yet, rather than arresting me, he's handing me the information on a silver platter? Is he that confident?_

Jonathan was deep in thought as Nico Robin left the room. _So, you'll know if I arrest your crewmates, Strawhat? In that case, let's hold off on that for now. Now, we have Nico Robin in the library, Strawhat Luffy and Black Leg Sanji running around the island somewhere, and from Lieutenant Commander Drake's latest report, Roronoa Zoro is loose in the base as well, along with one other. _

"Lieutenant, increase security around the dock where the Strawhats' ship is being held," he ordered, earning a salute from the officer. _That leaves two more. Perhaps Drake's latest search will bear fruit._

* * *

For the next couple hours, all was relatively quiet. Despite his efforts, Jonathan only had tabs on three of the pirates. One was impersonating a master inspector, and two were masquerading as a surgeon and nurse of G8, although to be fair, the latter two imposters were at the very least taking the job seriously from what he'd seen. Still, when he had taken a visit to the infirmary, their auras had revealed their true affiliations easily enough.

Nightfall was approaching, and Jonathan knew for certain that something big would happen soon. He just didn't know what.

It was then that Jonathan heard a familiarly strange call echoing from atop the mountain. It was an extremely loud call; he wouldn't be surprised if the entire base heard it.

"_**Choh! Choooooooh! Chooooh!"**_

Jonathan frowned. _That's the call of the South Bird that we heard when they first arrived. What is it still doing here? _

Throughout Navarone, 7 pirates were all thinking the same thing.

_That's the signal. _

All at once, chaos erupted all over G8. Roronoa Zoro had appeared on the bridge and started causing destruction left and right, causing a large concentration of Marines to be dispatched there to apprehend him. Meanwhile, the new doctor who had been treating injured Marines suddenly abandoned his station, although the nurses noted that he had miraculously finished treating all of the Marines before doing so. One of the nurses had left to follow him. On the other side of the base, Strawhat Luffy himself had appeared and was causing a racket, along with Black Leg Sanji and an unidentified sniper. To make things worse, Inspector Shepherd from Marine Headquarters had abandoned her inspection and joined them, despite the efforts of the Marines sent to observe her, revealing that she probably wasn't a real inspector in retrospect.

* * *

Chopper and Nami had made it to the bridge and met up with Zoro, who was mowing through unfortunate Marine soldiers left and right.

"Didn't we say we weren't going to brute force our way out?" Nami protested loudly over the shouting of Marines.

"Believe me, if we really wanted to brute force our way out, there wouldn't be much left of this rock by now," Zoro retorted.

"Are we meeting up with Luffy and the others?" Chopper asked.

"Not yet. We have to get the Merry into open waters while Luffy gets the gold back. Then we can regroup and get out of here," the swordsman said. As countless Marines obstructed their path off the bridge, Zoro raised a single sword. "_**1 Sword Style, 360 Caliber Phoenix!" **_he shouted as close to a hundred Marines were thrown off the bridge by the blast of wind. "Let's go."

* * *

As the Marines desperately tried to get the situation under control, one scrambled to report to Vice Admiral Jonathan.

"Sir, Black Leg Sanji is heading to the vault where the confiscated gold is being held, along with two others! One of them is the imposter inspector!"

Jonathan sighed. _Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to just let her get that information. But still, I didn't think they'd be this organized. Not only were they waiting for a signal, but they were able to group together in the blink of an eye. I should assume that Monkey D. Luffy at the very least can use Observation Haki. Not that it matters. They won't find what they're looking for._

"You said two others?" Jonathan clarified "Is Strawhat Luffy among them?"

"No sir. We've lost track of the captain, but are currently conducting a search for him," the marine answered.

"I'd say there's no need for that," Jonathan said. "Wouldn't you agree, Monkey D. Luffy?"

The Marine who was making the report turned around in shock to be greeted by the subject of their discussion standing in the doorway. He was about to draw his sword, but a look from Jonathan as well as a shake of the head dissuaded him.

"Your crewmates sure are making quite the ruckus at the moment," Jonathan commented. "Is there a reason you came here?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Luffy said.

"Well, you did allow me a round of questions, so that only seems fair," Jonathan agreed.

"Why aren't you fighting?" Luffy asked, causing him to raise an eyebrow. Deciding to elaborate, he continued, "You're a vice admiral. You have years of experience in battles that you hide behind that tranquil mask of yours. You can use both Armaments and Observation Haki. And yet, you're sitting on the sidelines giving out orders. I just can't help but wonder why."

"I suppose I may come off as a bit lazy in your eyes," Jonathan said. "But I suppose my reason is the same as the one you provided for not simply 'destroying the island.' There's no need."

Luffy looked amused. "No need? Your base has been infiltrated by pirates wanted dead or alive. Your naval defenses are halfway between formalities and decorations. Every marine in this base is cannon fodder, save for you. What super secret trump card do you have yet to unveil?"

"I think you overestimate me," Jonathan drawled. "There is no super secret trump card, as you so quaintly put it. Although it may have been covered up, I am high up enough in the ranks to have knowledge of the events following Crocodile's defeat in Alabasta. And while I may be confident in my skills, I am not so delusional as to believe that I alone will succeed where the combined might of three men of my own rank have failed. In addition, the location of our naval base is far too remote for us to call for sufficient reinforcements from Marineford."

Luffy looked disappointed. "So, what...you're just giving up?" he asked, pouting a bit.

"Not quite. You see, I tend to look at the big picture of things. There is the tree, and there is the forest. There is a single island, and then there is an ocean of them. There is the battle, and then there is the war. Sometimes, to win the war, you need to look at more than just a single battle."

Luffy suddenly looked annoyed. "You've been gathering intel," he stated.

"Something like that. You will escape from us today. I have no doubt about that. But I can't help but feel as though the report I give to Admiral Akainu afterwards could cause quite the headache for you all, depending on my own discretion, of course."

Luffy stared at him blandly. "And if I kill you now so you can never give him that report?"

"Then he will take note of my cause of death regardless, and that would become an even bigger headache for you. But, that's assuming you do kill me. Once again, it really does not seem like your style, Monkey D. Luffy."

The Strawhat captain rolled his eyes before turning around before turning toward the gargantuan sack of gold in the corner of the room and throwing it over his shoulder. "I'll be taking this if you don't mind."

"Sure. I'd ask you not to injure too many of my men on your way out," Jonathan called.

"Tell them to stand down, and they'll have no problems from us," was Luffy's reply.

Soon after the Strawhat Pirates met up at the Going Merry, Vice Admiral Jonathan called for an armistice, which the captain of the Strawhat Pirates agreed to. While Lieutenant Commander Drake protested loudly against it, a quick summary of their losses, including damages to the facility, and a recount of Marine casualties since the pirates arrived was enough to change his mind.

After that, the pirates sailed out unimpeded, unless one counted the lone Marine who jumped onto their ship and attacked with a cry of _"I don't know, but I've been told!" _

The attack was unsuccessful.

Rather than using the small channel that the Marines left open for them, however, the Strawhat Pirates opted to fly out through use of a giant balloon octopus, which was inflated using Usopp's Breath Dials and propelled using Luffy's Reject Dial. All in all, it was a rather anticlimactic ending to a one-sided slaughter that nevertheless inspired the soldiers of G8 to be ever more vigilant against flying pirates.

"Hey, wait, wait, WAIT!" Nami shouted. "What's with the fucking resolution!? This shit isn't over!" She pointed at Luffy accusingly. "What the hell happened to the Goro Goro no Mi!? You said you took care of it! You do realize that if we left that behind–"

"_**Chooooh!" **_came the familiar call of the South Bird. The now tame bird flew through the Going Merry and dropped the devil fruit in question into Luffy's outstretched hand, before taking off into the sunset.

"Ok, _now_ we're done," Luffy said with a grin.

* * *

A/N: Cue end credits music.


	49. The Calm Before the Storm

Alright people! It's almost that time! And no, I don't mean Davy Back Fights. Actually, I don't mean Water 7 either, although it is most certainly that time as well. The time has come, as I said it would, for the Butterfly of Doom to give its wings some exercise. To translate that into simpler terms, shit's going down the next few arcs, and this time, it's shit of a different variety, so get hyped!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter XLIX: The Calm Before the Storm

On the island of Jaya, a crowd had gathered around a certain bar in Mock Town to witness what was rumored to be a fight to the death between comrades.

"Please, make them stop!" one of the crew members of the two combatants shouted. Her pleas were answered by a sinister chuckle which by no means conveyed an intent to comply.

"Enough already! Why are you doing this!?" Sarkies, one of the combatants tried to reason. The taunting laughter only intensified.

"Why, you ask? What other reason could there be? Sarkies, Bellamy...you two have tarnished my flag that you so proudly flaunt around as if it were your own. Sky Island, the City of Gold...I don't care whether they exist or not. As long as you were undefeated, I would allow you to spread whatever petty ideals you deemed fit."

"It's hopeless," one of the observers whispered. "There's no way they can win. That's Donquixote Doflamingo!"

"Are you kidding? One of the Seven Warlords?" another asked quietly. "He used to have a bounty of over 300 million. What's he doing here?"

"But now that you've been put in your place by a bunch of 'hopeless dreamers' as you put it, there's really no room for you as my underlings, is there?" Doflamingo continued.

As Sarkies' blade rose against his will, he cursed. "Dammit! Don't make me do this!" His pleas once again went unanswered as his arm was forced to swing the blade towards an immobile Bellamy unmercifully.

"Please…" Bellamy rasped from his position on the ground. "Give me one more chance. Even if it takes years...I'll get to where you stand one day…"

Doflamingo laughed in amusement. "Do you really think a peon like you has what it takes to survive the New World? Very well, do as you wish. The New Era I've envisioned is approaching. However…" He turned his back and started walking away. "I have no place for you in my ranks," he stated matter-of-factly.

"_Doflamingo!_" Bellamy shouted in desperation as Sarkies' knife came down again.

* * *

"What's wrong? You're slowing down," Luffy noted as he smiled with his eyes closed and his hands in his pockets. Across from him stood Sanji, panting heavily but still focused. Nearby, Zoro was continuing the rest of the crew's training to awaken their haki, while Luffy was training Sanji personally at the chef's request.

Sanji dashed forward again, but his opening kick was dodged easily as Luffy simply leaned back to avoid it. The next hail of kicks were just as casually avoided as the Strawhat captain swayed back and forth in between the blows. Focusing on predicting his movements, Sanji went in for a feint, which seemed to achieve the desired effect, and the actual kick was blocked by Luffy's forearm. Before he could react, Sanji had been grabbed by the leg and thrown back to his starting position.

"Too slow," Luffy commented, earning an annoyed grunt from the chef.

"I noticed, you rubber bastard. Why don't you open your damn eyes now?"

Luffy only smirked. "Why don't you make me?"

Sanji complied, or at least attempted to, as he spun rapidly in a circle before going on the offensive again, leg ablaze this time. Every kick he threw was once again dodged effortlessly. He could try to predict Luffy's movements, but the rubber man could do the same with his counters to said movements, and it was easier to see whose observation haki was superior. Not only that, but he was suppressing his aura, so Sanji was having trouble getting a read on it to begin with. After a couple minutes, Sanji winced and the inferno around his leg ceased as his current limit for Diable Jambe was reached.

"What brought this on?" Luffy couldn't help but ask. "You seemed content with your progress just recently. Now you're working twice as hard as before. Not that I don't encourage it, but is there any reason?"

"It's not that I'm not satisfied already…" Sanji muttered. "I don't have big, grandiose dreams like you or Zoro. My goal is just to find All Blue and be the best chef I can be," he admitted. "But I've started to realize recently...if we're going to keep running into guys like Crocodile and Enel, I'm only going to be in the way." He grunted again as he got to his feet. "You two are way ahead of the rest of us...and for a while, I was content with that. But like you said when we started doing this, there's going to come a time when you two have your hands full, and when that day comes, I _won't_ be a liability."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Luffy said. "So, what will you do?"

"First, I'm going to wipe that smug grin off your face!" the chef shouted before charging in again, only for Luffy to disappear from his sight.

"You'll have to catch me first!" the rubber man taunted from behind him. He spun around and aimed a kick at the location of his aura, but he only disappeared again.

Sanji's eyes roamed around the deck of the Going Merry as his captain constantly blurred in and out of sight. Something was different than usual. If he was really just taunting him, he wouldn't be able to see Luffy at all. Which meant he was going slow intentionally. Sanji narrowed his eyes and focused his observation haki on his captain's movements, following his blurred form as it drew closer and closer to him. His legs were in constant motion, slowing down only for an instant as his form became more defined, and then speeding up again as he disappeared from sight.

_So that's how it is. _

As each jump brought the rubber man closer and closer, Sanji got into a ready stance. As he sensed Luffy closing in, he kicked the floor ten times in an instant, resulting in a leap backwards that was much faster than what he could usually accomplish, just as Luffy leg swept through the area he was previously occupying.

_Now! _

He leapt forward again and feinted a kick at Luffy's head. When he predictably, or perhaps indulgently, vanished from sight in response, Sanji went through the same series of movements again, and tracking him with his haki, aimed another kick at his sternum. As the two appeared back into sight, Luffy was holding Sanji's leg, preventing it from reaching him.

"You learned Soru. I'm impressed," Luffy said with a grin.

"Yeah…" Sanji said, before collapsing back into a sitting position. "But it puts a lot of strain on my legs. I can see why you waited until now to teach me."

"You'll get used to it soon," Luffy said. "When I first started using it, I didn't really notice the strain. Rubber man and all. But I did notice that it got easier to use pretty quickly."

"Sanji learned something again?" Usopp asked. "Why do I feel like he's always the only one?"

"It helps that he has more physical conditioning than the rest of you," Zoro said. "Or, maybe you're just not trying hard enough, Usopp."

"Hey, that's not fair! I think I'm starting to get the hang of this haki stuff!"

Zoro raised an eyebrow, and Usopp faltered a bit. "Sort of...maybe...a little…"

"Well, I'm still not having any progress, so I think I'll just stick to my Clima-Tact for now. How are those upgrades coming along by the way?"

Usopp lit up at the reminder. "Oh, they're coming along! Those dials are worth more than their weight in gold! You'll be lighting up enemies before they even know what lit them up!"

Nami smiled. "Thanks! Just tell me when they're ready so I can test them out for myself," she requested.

"Of course! It might interest you to know that my own arsenal has been improved as well…" he trailed off as Nami was already walking away, not having heard him. "Hey!"

A couple of hours passed uneventfully, unless you counted the octopus balloon's heartfelt farewell, the giant sea monkeys which Luffy tamed, or the seemingly depressed pirate crew they passed on the way, which strangely enough had no flag or sails. After lunch, everyone continued haki training, but once again, there were no breakthroughs to speak of. Despite that sad fact, many of the crew members couldn't help but notice that the training nevertheless helped their physical conditioning, which was pretty essential in any fight.

Afterwards, Luffy and Zoro instructed them to start sparring in order to evaluate each other's strengths and weaknesses. At this point, Usopp took initiative and loudly suggested a tournament bracket. This normally would have been ignored, if not for the fact that Luffy announced his strong support for the idea just as loudly.

Which led to the Strawhat pirates now competing in a tournament.

The fights would consist of hand to hand combat only, which meant no weapons and no devil fruit powers. In Chopper's case, this meant he could only use one form. He wisely picked Heavy Point. For the benefit of the devil fruit users, Luffy declared that you were out of the fight if you fell off the Merry, whether you could swim or not. You were also out if you gave up or were held down for 10 seconds.

"Hey, wait," Chopper said suddenly. "Sanji _only _specializes in physical combat. How is he not going to win this?"

"A better question is, how is he going to win at all if he can't even attack half of his opponents?" the chef asked in retort as he walked over to the sidelines to stand next to Luffy and Zoro. "Have fun, everyone." This caused Robin to giggle and Usopp to pout.

"You're no fun, Sanji!"

"This was your idea to begin with," Sanji argued. "Next time, think it through, shithead. This is terribly uneven."

Although Usopp protested loudly at this, the chef was soon proven right.

The first fight was between Usopp and Chopper. Although Usopp was by no means incapable of throwing a good punch, he simply wasn't in the same league as Chopper's heavyweight form. The first minute of the fight consisted of Usopp throwing punches while Chopper blocked them, too timid to do anything else against a crewmate. He soon got over it when the sniper declared that there were no holds barred even in a fight between comrades, but nevertheless assured him that he would be fine. Emboldened by this assurance, Chopper proceeded to subject Usopp to a wrestling hold that kept him down for 10 seconds, ending the fight.

"I have no regrets!" Usopp claimed as he went to stand next to the monster trio, making a show of standing by his idea, even though Luffy could tell he was disappointed at having lost first. "Alright, the next fight is between Nami and Robin!"

As the two women of the crew stood across from each other, Nami cringed. "Aren't you an assassin?" she asked nervously.

"I was," Robin answered with a calm smile. "Aren't you a thief?"

"...That's not very assuring."

"And, start!" Usopp shouted, ignoring the navigator's reservations. At first, neither one of them moved. After a few moments of waiting each other out, Robin took a step forward, causing Nami to take a step back. Robin laughed lightly.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Navigator-san, so don't worry so much," she said.

Nami seemed to calm down after that, and as it was soon revealed, she did know some basic self defense even without the Clima-Tact. She would have to in order to survive stealing from pirates for 8 years, even East Blue pirates. And the conditioning she'd received from the haki training seemed to help.

Unfortunately for Nami, her experience seemed to pale in comparison to Robin's, and it didn't take long for the archaeologist to sweep a leg out from under her before pinning her to the ground with one arm pulled behind her back.

"The winner is Robin!" Usopp shouted after 10 seconds of struggling on Nami's part.

"You sure seem to be enjoying this…" Nami grumbled as she walked over to stand with the observers.

"Of course! Tournament matches are also part of a Man's Romance!" the sniper exclaimed, causing Nami to look at him quizzically.

"Walking sticks, swinging from vines, and now this? Where do you get this crap from?"

Usopp elected to ignore her, instead announcing the next spar. "Now for the finals! It's the heavyweight Tony Tony Chopper vs. the quick and nimble Nico Robin!"

Chopper looked nervous again, but Robin merely smiled and said, "Let's have a good match, Doctor-san." The reindeer nodded.

This spar lasted noticeably longer. Chopper was too strongly built for Robin to get him into a submission hold, but Robin was too agile and light on her feet for Chopper to get a hit in or pin her down. Of the two of them, Chopper was more versed in hand to hand combat, but Robin was more analytical and moved with a calculated grace that the reindeer couldn't quite match as she dodged or redirected his blows. She was careful not to get hit and careful not to give him any openings to subdue her, but she also couldn't really hope to overpower him. Eventually, she was seemingly cornered at the edge of the Merry. Her back was to the water as Chopper came in for a blow.

"Robin-chan, watch out!" Sanji shouted in worry as it seemed she was about to back into open air. Instead, she stood her ground until Chopper got close, before moving aside, grabbing him by the arm, and using his forwards momentum to actually flip him off the deck of the ship and into the water.

Zoro sighed. "I'll get him," the swordsman volunteered, before jumping overboard and retrieving the soaked reindeer, who coughed up some water before changing back into his hybrid form.

"I lost…" he pouted, causing Robin to actually feel slightly guilty.

"Well, you're all improving," Zoro commented, still in instructor mode. "Nami, you can defend yourself if it comes to it, but you're too tense. Even if you know how to counter your opponent, it won't matter if you're too stiff to do anything about it. But once you gain more experience, you'll be more relaxed in a fight." He turned to Usopp. "You have the same problem. I know for a fact that you can take a hit with the best of them, but that won't hold you over for long if you freeze up." They both nodded, and Zoro turned to Chopper.

"Chopper, your main issue in Heavy Point is your speed, but that won't be as much of a problem when you can use your devil fruit freely. Honestly, the best thing for you right now is just to keep training your speed and strength. The more you do that, the stronger your transformations will be. I also think you could benefit in training your devil fruit some more, but we'll leave that for later." Chopper looked excited at the thought of enhancing his devil fruit powers.

Next, Zoro turned towards Robin. "You had the least problems as far as I saw. You may not have as much muscle as Chopper, but your devil fruit powers make up for that. Other than Luffy, me, and the cook, you have the best reflexes in the crew. The only thing I'd suggest is getting your speed up so that you can make the best use of them. Even if you can see an attack coming, you can't always stop it unless you can move in time." Robin nodded thoughtfully.

Finally, Zoro turned toward Sanji. "Cook…" he trailed off. "You suck," he finished. Sanji's eye twitched.

"Alright! Good job, everyone!" Luffy shouted. "Nami, how's our course?" he asked.

"It's right on target," the navigator replied. "We should be arriving soon."

"Great! Hey Robin, can you look out for an island?" Luffy asked.

"Roger," she said, making her way up to the crow's nest.

"Hey, Luffy," Zoro said, subtly getting the captain's attention. Luffy looked at him to see that he had a serious expression on his face.

_It's almost that time_, the swordsman conveyed.

Luffy nodded as he remembered which island they were about to arrive at. They had been blown a little off course compared to last time, so they took more time to actually get here, but they had also spent less time in Skypiea, and there was no telling how long the adversary they were both thinking of would wait for them.

A laidback, lethargic, and very dangerous adversary.

_Keep your senses sharp when we get to the island, _he conveyed back. Their short staring contest ended, no one having noticed it as Luffy continued walking and Zoro leaned back against the mast, seemingly asleep.

* * *

"Maaaan, I'm booored," Luffy mumbled an hour later. "Hey Robin! Have you caught any glimpse of that island yet?"

"Yes, a while ago actually," she responded from the crow's nest. Usopp looked scandalized.

"What do you mean, a while ago! When you see an island you're supposed to shout 'Land Ho!'" the sniper claimed.

"That sounds like too strange of a reaction for my tastes," Robin replied. "But I'll let you know next time."

As soon as they reached the island, which was a wide empty plain filled with really tall trees, Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp all took off, eager for some sightseeing.

As the rest of the crew got ready to depart, Zoro simply stared out at the island with narrowed eyes.

"Is something wrong, Swordsman-san?" Robin asked, coming up next to him. This seemed snap him out of whatever trance he was in.

"No, it's nothing," Zoro answered, piquing Robin's curiosity. He then looked back at the fog over the ocean. "It looks like we're about to have some company though."

* * *

Luffy looked in every direction in an attempt to find what he was looking for. But no matter how many times he extended his senses outwards, he couldn't feel anything. Either his target was hiding his aura really well, or he wasn't there. He hadn't considered the latter option up until now.

"Wow, there's really nothing in sight. It's empty," Usopp commented.

"Yeah...completely empty…" Luffy muttered quietly, brow furrowed.

"Luffy? You ok?" Chopper asked, snapping him out of his daze.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hey, is that a house over there?" he asked, pointing out into the distance.

"You're right! Let's go check it out," Usopp said.

On the way there, the trio encountered a large variety of strange animals, which consisted of elongated bears, elongated dogs, elongated deer, and even elongated birds.

Come to think of it, they were all elongated.

When they arrived at the house, they found a particularly friendly white giraffe, which was in reality an elongated horse. Chopper conveyed that her name was Shelly. Apparently she was alone here on the island, which Chopper found to be strange.

"Hey, is this elongated bamboo?" Usopp asked, looking upwards. There were two sticks of bamboo that were abnormally tall, to the point where they couldn't see the top. This seemed kind of familiar to Luffy, but he couldn't place where he'd seen it before.

Suddenly, the bamboo moved, shocking Usopp and hitting him in the face.

"Aaaah! The elongated bamboo attacked Usopp!" Chopper panicked.

"Bamboo bastard! I won't lose that easily!" the sniper shouted, pulling out his slingshot and letting a lead star fly, breaking through the bamboo.

"Hah! Take that bamboo!" Usopp shouted, throwing his fist in the air.

"That was amazing Usopp!" Chopper shouted happily.

"Was it really?" Luffy asked skeptically. The two were broken out of their celebrations when they heard a panicked yell coming from above them. Luffy looked up to see an old man falling towards him.

_Oh, I remember now…_

* * *

"Who are these guys?" Nami asked. The Going Merry was currently surrounded by two anchors, each of which had attached themselves to the island, and were connected to a rather large enemy ship.

"Doesn't matter who they are," Zoro said. "They cornered our ship, so they're clearly hostile."

"Doesn't matter who we are?" shouted a voice from atop the ship that had cornered them. "Watch your tongue, Roronoa Zoro! We are the Foxy Pirates, and we have claimed your ship as property of me, Foxy the Silver Fox!"

"Whatever," Zoro said in a bored tone as he unsheathed a sword before swinging it downwards. The enemy ship, which easily towered over the Going Merry, was cut down the middle from bow to stern. As all hell broke loose on the ship of the now panicking Foxy Pirates, Zoro casually cut the chains that were rendering the Going Merry immobile from afar.

"Well, that was a waste of time. Nami, how's the log?" Zoro asked.

"Actually, it's ready. It seems the time it takes for the log to set is really short on this island."

"Well, that simplifies things. Now we just have to wait for Luffy to get back."

* * *

The old man who had landed on top of Luffy looked horrified. "Oh dear!" he exclaimed. "I seem to have landed on someone! Are you ok, lad?"

"I'm fine," Luffy replied, getting up and dusting himself off. "Because I'm rubber. But anyway, you...you're that guy, aren't you?"

"'That guy?'" the old man asked curiously.

"Yeah, that Jack guy," Luffy said.

"My name is Tonjit."

"No way! I'm sure you're that Jack guy who climbed the giant bamboo stalk to find the goose that lays the golden eggs so that you could have supper. But you're an old man now. Did it take you that long to climb it?" Luffy rambled.

"Beanstalk, Luffy! That was a beanstalk!" Usopp corrected. "There's no way this guy is him!"

"Ah, really? So it wasn't him after all."

"I'm afraid not. You see, I am one of the nomads who travels from one portion of his island to the next. This island is actually a ring of wide open plains, which are all connected and have the same magnetic field. But I've been separated from the rest of the nomads, you see. 10 years ago, I made really tall stilts out of bamboo so I could see the view from the top. But then I got too scared to come back down, and got stuck up there. I've had to survive by eating the fruits off of the tallest trees ever since."

"You're really stupid, old man," Luffy commented bluntly.

"Perhaps, but worry not, youngster! For now that you've forced me back to ground level, I can go and catch up with the rest of the group!"

"I wasn't worried…" Luffy said, before turning to Usopp. "Hey, we should probably get back to the ship. I can sense some unfamiliar auras at the coast."

"Unfamiliar auras? Are they hostile?" Chopper asked.

"Hard to tell. I think they are, but they feel more incompetent than anything," Luffy replied.

When they arrived back at the ship, they were greeted by the sight of a giant pirate ship that was cut in half down the middle, lying in a heap in the shallow water near the coast. When Usopp asked what happened, Zoro simply replied, "It was in the way, so I cut it." The simple explanation was accepted easily enough and the Strawhats got ready to set sail, but before they could, the sound of a gunshot interrupted them.

"Strawhat Luffy!" came the voice of Foxy the Silver Fox, soaking wet and panting heavily. Beside him was a large fishman who had seemingly saved him from the water, along with a blue haired woman and an ape like man. "You dare sink my ship!? You'll pay for this, you lowlife!"

"I didn't do anything," Luffy said in annoyance. "Go away."

"Don't try to deny it! Your crewmate Roronoa cut our ship in half!" Foxy shouted.

"And you still didn't get the message?" Luffy couldn't help but ask. "Anyway, I'm not him, so leave me alone."

"Absolutely not! There's no way I'm letting you go after what you've done to us! I hereby challenge you to a Davy Back Fight!"

"Ok," Luffy agreed easily, before unleashing a blast of Conqueror's Haki on the unsuspecting Foxy Pirates, all of whom keeled over and lost consciousness. "We win," the Strawhat captain declared, before turning back towards his crew and ordering them to set sail.

As the Strawhats rose anchor, Luffy was in deep thought. _Aokiji didn't show up this time. Last time he said he originally came to confirm that Robin was in the crew, but if I remember right, that cage lady already saw her setting sail with us in Alabasta. Is that why he's not here? _

While he wouldn't rule out the possibility, something about that didn't feel right. He looked to his right and locked eyes with Zoro. The swordsman nodded. It seemed they were in agreement.

There was a storm coming.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the exposition chapter. There's a lot of crap in between Skypiea and Water 7 in the anime, but most of it bored me, so I decided to stick with a single interlude chapter before we got to the good stuff. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, even if it was mostly setup.


	50. A Prelude to War, Again

Why does 49 in Roman numerals = XLIX? If putting one letter before another signifies subtraction of the former from the latter, shouldn't it just simplify to IL? Oh well, you can write your story in your own language, but I guess you can't write your own language in your story.

...I'm going to stop rambling since I'm starting to make less sense as I go on.

Finally, chapter 50! To think it's been 14 months now. To anyone who cares, that's an average of about 3.57 chapters per month. But enough math, let's get on to the nonsensical series of incoherent and disjointed logic, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter L: A Prelude to War...Again

_Fire. There was fire everywhere. It was all burning. The heat seemed to seep through her pores, under her skin, into her very being. She stared, wide eyed and trembling, at the omnipresent flames as they consumed everything and everyone in sight._

_As they consumed Ohara. _

_The sights and sounds drove her to the brink of insanity. The blasting of cannons, the whistling of deadly artillery, the agonized screams, the raging of the insatiable inferno, the rising of the suffocating smoke...for what seemed like hours, it was all Robin knew. _

"_Run, Robin!" _

_The familiar voice broke her out of her horrified trance even as she felt a bone numbing chill spread throughout her body, overpowering even the heat of the all encompassing fire. She tried to move as the gigantic form of Jaguar D. Saul struggled to his feet. Perhaps to do as she was told. Perhaps not to. It didn't matter; she just needed to _move_. _

_But she couldn't. Try as she might, she couldn't even budge an inch. What was wrong with her? Had her legs been frozen along with Saul's? She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she willed her body to do as it was told._ Move!

"_Run, Robin!" the voice came again. But it was different this time. She opened her eyes in shock. Saul was gone. In his place stood the ever determined Monkey D. Luffy, frozen from the waist down. His fists tightened as Marine Admiral Aokiji walked leisurely toward him. His arm blackened to obsidian as he threw his fist forward, faster than her eyes could keep track of, but evidently not fast enough for his adversary, who caught his fist in an icy grip. Luffy grunted in pain as the rest of his body began to freeze over. He turned towards her as the ice began to cover his face, the cold seeping into every last vein. "You have...to run…" _

_She stared in pure, unadulterated terror as the ice enclosed around the remainder of his face, which was still turned towards her. Unmercifully, Aokiji raised a fist, ready to strike. _

_No. _

_The fist collided with the frozen statue, and the brittle structure broke apart on contact. Whatever force had been keeping her from moving seemed to shatter along with that which had kept her going all this time. The spell broken, she sank to her knees in despair. _

_No. _

_The Marine Admiral turned toward her, his face impassive as he began walking in her direction. She didn't run like he told her. She couldn't, not anymore. There was nothing to run to. _

"_Three weeks," the man spoke emotionlessly. "You're not breaking any personal records, Nico Robin," he said as he reached toward her. _

No.

Robin woke up screaming.

"Robin!" There was a voice shouting her name. Hands on her shoulders, shaking her. "Robin!" the voice came again. It definitely sounded familiar. She reached up to the hand on her shoulder. The contact seemed to anchor her back to reality, and her eyes focused before meeting the concerned face of her bunkmate.

"Nami…?" she asked. The navigator sighed in relief.

"Holy shit, don't scare me like that," she said. "Robin, are you ok?" Robin managed to give a weak nod, but taking into account how shaky it was, she guessed that it wasn't very reassuring. She could hear the loud beating of footsteps from outside the room just before the door was roughly opened, and the crew's chef, sniper, and doctor fell over each other in a rushed attempt to get inside the room.

"Robin!" Chopper shouted in worry.

"What happened?" Sanji asked desperately, searching the room for anything out of the ordinary, but finding nothing.

"Are you guys alright!?" Usopp asked.

Nami sighed. "We're fine now," she said, resisting the slightly irrational urge to scold them for not knocking. Once they untangled themselves from the floor, Luffy and Zoro walked in after them, less frantic but with unmistakable expressions of worry etched on their countenance.

Luffy walked up to Robin, having recognized the scream as hers. "Robin?" he asked gently, not bothering to vocalize the obvious question. Robin swallowed.

"It's nothing. I'm sorry for waking you all," she said. She watched as Luffy's expression softened from confusion to acceptance.

"I'm guessing it would be pointless for you to try and go back to sleep?" he asked with an understanding smile. Robin could only nod again.

"Well, it's a pretty nice night out," the captain said. "Anyone up for some stargazing?"

Robin began to protest. "It's alright, you don't have to–"

"To be honest, Robin," Luffy interrupted, "I don't think any of us are going back to sleep either. Maybe some coffee will do you some good. Sanji?"

The chef didn't miss a beat. "Coming right up! Coffee under the starlight. Seems kind of romantic. I'll even throw in some early morning breakfast!"

"Sounds great! I was dreaming about food anyway!" Usopp claimed. It always became hard to distinguish whether he was lying or not during times when it actually mattered.

"I'm not sleepy at all!" Chopper boasted.

Robin couldn't help but smile a little as the memory of the nightmare moved to the back of her mind, not forgotten, but dulled. "Thank you, everyone. That sounds nice."

As the male crew members filed out of the room, Nami hesitated before pulling Robin into a hug. "Remember you can talk to me about anything, ok?" she whispered.

Robin returned the hug and hummed in confirmation, and Nami let go.

As it turned out, star gazing wasn't too bad of an idea, as there was a meteor shower that morning. As the crew sat and ate under the shooting stars, Usopp instructed everyone to make a wish, before explaining the premise behind the custom to a curious Chopper.

Robin was silent as she gazed up at the sky, feeling as though the wish she wanted to make might just be unrealistic.

* * *

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. That is, until the crew spotted a giant frog doing the front crawl, and opted to follow it out of sheer fascination. Said frog then proceeded to jump in front of a moving train that was seemingly running on the ocean. Needless to say, that didn't work out very well for the frog, who was sent flying despite taking a ready stance in an effort to oppose the train's momentum.

"That's one gutsy frog," Sanji commented.

"That's Yokozuna," said a young girl from what looked to be, strangely enough, a train station on the ocean. "He does that all the time. Hey, are you guys pirates?"

"Yes we are. I'm Luffy. I'm going to be the Pirate King," Luffy said, providing his signature introduction.

"Really?" the girl asked in childlike innocence.

"Yep!" Luffy answered.

"Cool. Hey Grandma! Pirates are here!" she yelled.

"Really?" came a voice from inside the building. "Hang on, I'll get the Transponder Snail!" A few of the Strawhats tensed as an old woman came out and started dialing a number. "Hello?" the woman greeted. "Who is calling? Huh? What do you mean 'what's my emergency?' Sorry, I think you have the wrong number." She then proceeded to hang up.

Said crew members now felt ridiculous. _What the hell was that? _

"So, you guys are pirates, huh?" the woman asked, attention now focused on the Strawhats. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kokoro. This is my grandaughter, Chimney."

"And that's Gonbe, our cat!" Chimney added, pointing down at a small animal that was quite clearly and unmistakably a rabbit.

"Meow!"

Make that a confused rabbit.

Nami proceeded to ask about the train they had seen, and Chimney explained that there were actually tracks in the water, which were built to carry the sea train, called the Puffing Tom, from island to island. She then revealed that the frog they encountered, Yokozuna, was always challenging the sea train to contests of strength, which he always lost.

"Kokoro-san?" Nami asked. "We actually came here following a Log Pose. It's pointing west. Do you know what island we're headed to, by any chance?"

"If it's pointing west, that would be Water 7," Kokoro answered. "The city of water is home to the best ship mechanics in the world. Even the World Government relies on their shipmaking."

"That sounds like a good place to spend the money we've earned," Nami stated. Immediately the mood shifted as the crew once again remembered that they would have to let the Going Merry go soon.

"Alright, it's decided," Luffy said. "At Water 7, we'll find a shipwright to join our crew."

"A shipwright?" Nami asked, eliciting a nod from Luffy.

"We have to make sure this doesn't happen again. So in addition to a new ship, we'll also get a crewmate that can repair it."

"In that case, take this," Kokoro said, holding out a piece of paper, which Nami took. "It's a map of the island, and a letter of recommendation. Give it to a man named Iceberg, and he'll get you what you need."

As they got ready to set sail again, Kokoro shouted after them. "One last thing! It takes a week for the log to set in Water 7! That will give you plenty of time to get your business done! We'll be returning to the city soon, so I hope to see you there!"

As they all waved their goodbyes, the Going Merry set out towards Water 7.

* * *

"Man, I'm bored again," Luffy sighed. They had been sailing for several hours now to get to Water 7, and most of the crew was now attending to their own business.

"When are you ever not bored?" Nami asked rhetorically.

"When I'm kicking ass and taking food?" Luffy answered anyway.

"You mean taking names," Usopp corrected. Luffy looked at him quizzically.

"Why would I want names? I'd rather have food."

"Well, that's beside the point. The expression is 'kicking ass and taking names,'" Usopp insisted.

"I prefer kicking ass and taking dames, myself," Sanji interjected as he walked by.

"Not you too, Sanji!"

Nami sighed as she checked their course again. They would be arriving soon, and then she could find a place to exchange all of the gold they had. They had a lot of errands to run in Water 7, but at least they weren't broke anymore.

"Hey Nami, I'm still bored," Luffy said.

"Well, find a way to entertain yourself then."

"Are you sure? The only thing I can think of is watching Zoro train you guys again," he said.

Nami had to suppress a shiver. The latest training session had been brutal, to the point of utter exhaustion. She and Usopp had nearly fainted, and Chopper had been pushed to the limits of his Zoan-enhanced stamina. Sanji and Robin were the only ones who didn't seem to mind, but even Sanji had been breathing heavily afterwards, and Robin had seemed to lose the subtle grace with which she always moved for a while until she had recovered from the strenuous activity. And all the while, Zoro had been laughing at them. The infuriating part was, when she had sarcastically invited him to join them, he had actually accepted the invitation and put them all to shame while continuing to laugh, as if the training was old news to him. She never knew the normally lethargic swordsmen could be so..._sadistic_. When she had mustered up the energy to yell at him about it afterward, he had actually had the nerve to say it was Captain's orders. Which it was...but still.

It seemed that Luffy was really determined to make use of their time at sea. Of course, this had been the case since they'd entered the Grand Line, but he had never pushed them this far before, which caused Nami to wonder what had changed overnight.

Searching for a way out, she quickly redirected his interest, "Hey, speaking of training, isn't Zoro lifting weights? Why don't you join him?"

"I don't lift...but maybe he wants to spar," Luffy speculated, before jumping off of the railing and going to seek out the swordsmen.

An hour later, the crew spotted Water 7 in the distance. Upon arriving, they were immediately enraptured by the scenery. It seemed that their journey wasn't going to get any duller after Sky Island. The island took water metropolis to a new extreme.

"Whoever said Atlantis sank into the sea was clearly lying," Sanji commented, a hint of awe in his voice.

"That's a huge fountain!" Chopper exclaimed in wonder.

"Blue Station?" Nami read off of a sign as they drew closer. "I wonder where we should dock."

"Hey, you!" a man in a small fishing boat called. "Pirates can't come in through the front! Go dock in the back!" The Strawhats stared blankly for a moment.

"Ok!" Luffy shouted jovially. "Thanks Mister!" The crew continued to take in the scenery as they brought the ship around.

"That's so cool," Chopper marvelled. "The city is floating on the water!"

"I don't think that's the case. The island has simply sunk into the sea. The city seems to be built on top of the previous buildings," Robin observed.

"Hey, you pirates! You can't dock here!" a random citizen shouted. "What are you here for? Plundering?"

"No, we just need supplies!" Luffy shouted back, not missing a beat.

"In that case, head down that way until you see a peninsula!" the man shouted, pointing. "You can drop anchor there!"

"Got it, thanks!" Luffy shouted again. Most of the crew was slightly bemused as they continued.

"You know, as far as people who know we're criminals go, I think this is the best welcome we've gotten since Whiskey Peak," Usopp pointed out, eliciting laughs from the others.

"Where was that?" Chopper asked curiously.

"It was our first stop in the Grand Line," Nami answered.

"Whiskey...Peak?" Luffy asked, his face turning red as he thought back. Zoro sighed.

"Sake Summit," he compromised.

"Oh, yeah! That place was fun!" the captain said gleefully.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Robin said in amusement. "Most of the other pirates didn't."

"Still, it does seem strange that they're so casual around us," Nami pointed out as they docked near the peninsula. "It suggests that they're used to pirates showing up. They don't seem to be afraid either."

"It's most likely because pirates come here often for repairs," Robin speculated. "As for the lack of fear, it makes me think that they have strong local law enforcement."

As they dropped anchor, they started to divide up the tasks while they were here. Zoro offered to guard the ship, before leaning against the railing of the Merry and promptly falling asleep.

"Lazy ass…" Nami muttered. "Ok, Luffy and Usopp, the three of us can form a group to inquire about the ship. We also need to find a place to exchange our gold. Sanji-kun and Chopper, can you two stock up on supplies?"

"Of course, Nami-san!" Sanji saluted, before jumping off the ship and onto land, Chopper following behind him.

"Hey Robin, can you come with us?" Luffy asked. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Certainly. I was eager to explore the city anyway," she replied.

"Wait, how are we going to carry around this much gold without drawing too much attention?" Usopp asked suddenly.

Nami hummed. "Luffy could lift it, but you're right. It would be better to leave it here for now. Maybe we could get someone to come directly here and make an estimate. With Zoro guarding, we don't have to worry about anything being stolen."

Their course of action decided, the group of four entered town. After renting two Yagura Bulls to make their way around, they were able to find the bank fairly quickly, seeing as the horse-like sea creatures knew their way around quite well. Luckily, the bank was able to fulfill their somewhat strange request, and sent an accountant to take a look at what they had so that they could give an estimate.

Deciding not to waste time, they agreed that Nami would stay at the bank and handle the transaction while the rest of them went to the shipyard.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Zoro…_

The Franky Family were quiet as night as they snuck up on an unsuspecting Zoro. Walking across the deck of the Merry silently, they gripped their swords.

"Don't even think about it, unless you want to get cut up," the swordsman said, eyes still closed and leaning against the rail. The Franky Family stiffened, getting ready for a fight, until Zoro let out a snore. "Stupid love cook...call me Mosshead one more time, I dare you…"

Zanbai smirked. His bounty may be high, but he wasn't too bright. He raised his sword and brought it down, only for it to be blocked.

"Alright, you asked for it..._**Great Whirlwind**__!" _

The Franky Family let out a collective scream of pain as they were launched off of the ship by a whirlwind of blades. Zoro sheathed his swords and collapsed back onto the deck of the ship, still asleep.

"That'll teach you...Dartboard Brow…"

* * *

"So Captain-san, what did you want to talk to me about?" Robin asked.

"Well, do you remember the Revolutionaries that we ran into on Jaya?" Luffy asked. Robin nodded. "Well, they're on the island."

"Really? Do you know what they want?" Robin asked.

"Most likely nothing from you. They seem to have taken an interest in me after Alabasta," Luffy replied. "I just thought you should know." _That and I wanted to keep an eye on you..._

"I see. Thanks for telling me," Robin said.

"This place sure is lively," Usopp commented as they made their way towards Dock 1, deciding that the current conversation wasn't really for him.

"It's not surprising, since the shipwrights here are legendary," Robin answered. "I wonder if we have to make an appointment?"

"Helloooo! Anyone there!" Luffy shouted from behind the railing.

His shouts attracted the attention of one of the dock workers, who Luffy quickly recognized. His features were quite unique, so it was hard not to remember his face.

Especially since he was a CP9 agent.

"Hey, are you square Usopp?" he asked.

"Who's that?" the man asked quizzically. "Well, whatever. What do you need?"

"We have a recommendation letter from Kokoro at the Shift Station," Robin replied, pulling out the letter that Nami had given her. "Would it be possible for us to meet with a man named Iceburg?"

Luffy observed the interaction carefully. To Squarenose' credit, his eyes didn't even linger on Robin before he looked down at the letter. Seeing as Robin hadn't reacted in the slightest, it was safe to say that she didn't know who he was. That worked out just as well. As much as he wanted to just go ahead and kick CP9's collective asses right here and now, he wouldn't be able to explain that away. He had no proof of their affiliation with the World Government, and they wouldn't be able to get a new ship if he did that. So he would have to bear with the fact that they were here for now.

"Well, Iceburg is a busy man, but he also has a tendency to spontaneously cancel all his appointments," the undercover agent said. "It depends on his mood, to be honest."

"Is he that busy?" Usopp asked. "Who is this Iceburg guy anyway?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Iceburg is the Mayor of Water 7, as well as the president of Galley-La Company, and the manager of the sea-train," the man replied. "My name is Kaku by the way. I'm one of the shipwrights of Galley-La Company's Dock 1."

"Damn, he's a really important guy then," Usopp said, amazed.

"Definitely. He's known to everyone in Water 7. Why did you need to meet with him? If you just need your ship repaired, I can handle it for you."

"Actually, we need a new ship," Luffy said, his voice dropping as a hint of shame spread across his face. "Our old one is damaged beyond repair."

"Oh, that's too bad. Is the keel damaged?" Kaku asked.

"The keel?" Usopp repeated. He too, was rather subdued.

"It's the piece of wood that holds the ship together. If you don't know what that is, how do you know it's damaged beyond repair?"

Usopp sweatdropped. "It...kind of told us."

Kaku stared blankly. "...It told you?" he repeated dumbly.

"It appeared to us in the form of a small child and told us it wouldn't make it much farther," Luffy said bluntly, although with a hint of depression still in his voice.

"Well then…" Kaku said. "I've heard of legends like that, but I've never actually met anyone who claimed it happened to them. Nevertheless, I should probably check for myself, unless you're set on a new ship."

"No, it's fine. You can check," Luffy replied, causing Usopp to feel an irrational hope despite already having been resigned to the fact that the Going Merry couldn't sail anymore. Kaku then proceeded to jump off of the shipyard building, surprising Usopp and Robin. When Usopp questioned his well being, a voice from behind them spoke up.

"He'll be fine. He does that frequently." The three of them turned to see a blue-haired man with a small white mouse in his shirt pocket. As the man approached them, his gaze lingered on Robin, and his eyes narrowed. This put the raven haired woman on guard instantly, but he averted his gaze and continued speaking. "People call him the Mountain Wind. Everyone around here has their talents. He's the chief mechanic of Dock 1, so I guess it's not surprising that he would stand out quite a bit. Even if I'm not sure how he does what he does." He turned to a woman following behind him. "Kalifa?"

"Strawhat Luffy, Demon Wind Zoro, Nico Robin, and Black Leg Sanji," she stated, causing the man to narrow his eyes again and Usopp to sweat at the fact that they'd been identified that easily. "A combined bounty of 404 million Belly."

"Well, that's quite the sum," the man drawled. "Oh, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. I am Iceburg, the Mayor of Water 7."

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Zoro…_

Kaku hopped onto the Going Merry and took a look around. It was a nice ship, but it wasn't likely to make it much farther through the Grand Line even if they could repair it. It simply wasn't sturdy enough.

Suddenly, Kaku was forced to duck as the man who had been sleeping on deck reacted to his presence with hostility. _Shoot first, ask questions later, huh? _he mused as he hastily dodged another sword slash. Upon observing his assailant more closely, however, his eyes widened.

"Out of my way, you giraffe bastard…"

_This guy...he's still asleep!_

"Hey, wake up!" he shouted, launching a kick at the swordsmen, which was effortlessly blocked. Kaku managed to avoid injury using Tekkai. Luckily no one was around but the two of them, so no one had witnessed it...and the blow seemed to have woken his opponent up.

Zoro rubbed his eyes and yawned before taking a look at the who he had been attacking. "Oh, damn. I reacted on instinct. Sorry about that," he said, even though he really wasn't.

"No problem, I guess…" Kaku said with a shrug.

* * *

After a short conversation in which Iceberg introduced his personal assistant, Kalifa, and cancelled all of his appointments in the process, Robin handed him the letter from Kokoro, which he took a look at and then immediately ripped up.

"Hey, wait! What's the problem!?" Usopp panicked. "One of your workers went to check out our ship, but if it turns out it really can't be repaired, we're going to need a new one to set sail!"

"Ok," Iceberg responded easily. "If it can be repaired, we'll repair it. If not, we'll sell you a new one."

"...Why'd you rip up the letter then?"

"The lipstick stain disgusted me. Kokoro and I are old drinking buddies. Anyway, since I'm bored, I'll give you guys a tour of the shipyard." Just then, the three Strawhats heard Nami calling out to them.

"Luffy!" she shouted, running up to the group. "We have a problem!"

"What is it?" the captain asked. "Your estimate was wrong?" he guessed.

"No! Granted, they didn't tell me its real value at first, but I managed to weasel it out of them…but they can't pay us that much! They don't have enough to trade for all of it!"

Iceberg, who'd been listening in, raised an eyebrow. "How much are we talking here, Miss?"

"1,200,000,000 Belly," Nami answered, causing the man's eyes to widen slightly.

"Wow, you were that accurate?" Usopp said in amazement.

"Well, now _that's_ quite the sum," Iceberg stated. "No wonder our banks couldn't pay it. Still, Galley-La Company itself should be able to handle the transaction if it's really that much."

"Really!?" Nami asked, practically glowing. "But the gold is on our ship. Do you need to send someone for another estimate?"

"No need. Once we verify its value with the bank you went to, we can…" he trailed off as a familiar sounding argument reached his ears. "Is that Lucci and Paulie?" he asked.

"Yes, it seems that Lucci had to help Paulie escape from his debt collectors again," Kalifa confirmed, causing Iceburg to sigh.

"I'm not even sure why he bothers at this point."

"This Paulie guy sounds like he wouldn't want to meet Nami," Usopp commented.

* * *

_Meanwhile...with Zoro…_

"300% interest...my ass…" the swordsmen mumbled before letting out a snore.

* * *

The crew turned towards the two bickering workers who were making their way over in curiosity. The second Robin's eyes landed on the one called Lucci, her eyes widened, and she paled considerably. Her breathing became heavier, and her pulse quickened. When the two met eyes, Lucci's widened as well, before narrowing. Before Robin could say a thing, he gave her a small, subtle shake of the head, and any thoughts she had about confronting him instantly vanished from her mind.

She never knew a simple shake of the head could be so threatening. Her eyes instinctively wandered to both Nami and Usopp, who were both completely oblivious to the peril of the situation, along with all of Dock 1, apparently. She swallowed thickly before she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She turned and locked eyes with Luffy. His eyes were significantly softer than Lucci's as he gave her the same gesture that the assassin had.

The _trained CP9 assassin_. And he knew. Luffy knew exactly who this man was, she had no doubt.

Things had just gotten rather complicated.

* * *

A/N: Take that canon! You just got diverted, big time. Tell me what you thought of the chapter, as usual. Lost out.


	51. Demon Spawn

I was surprised by the number of reviewers who were clearly more well versed in Roman numerology than I am, and actually took the time to explain the rules. But it's good to know that you guys take me seriously even when I'm rambling about random shit. Thanks fans!

Anyway, in response to a couple reviews I got, I'd just like to point out that the order of events around the time of the Davy Back Fight is different in the anime than it is in the manga. In the anime, they met Aokiji on the island they reached after the Davy Back Fight. That island did not exist in the manga, and in canon they met Aokiji near Tonjit's house. Just thought I'd clear that up for you anime only watchers.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter LI: Demon Spawn

While Iceburg made a call to the Water 7 bank to confirm the agreed value of the gold on the Going Merry, Lucci and Paulie left to get to back to work, the latter arguing with the former's pigeon all the while. Robin watched them go, an extremely perturbed expression on her face, before turning to face Luffy, her question clearly written on her face for once.

"We'll talk later, Robin," Luffy whispered. Robin didn't look assured, but accepted the promise and dropped the issue for the moment. But even as she did so, a seed of ever-present doubt in her mind took root for the first time in a month as her recent nightmare returned to the forefront of her mind.

"Well, it looks like your story checks out," Iceburg's voice came as he walked back towards Nami, carrying 6 large briefcases with the aid of Kalifa and another assistant. "I took the liberty of accessing Galley-La Company's vault. I'll hand these over to you now, and when Kaku returns, I'll have him organize a team to fetch the gold on your ship. Does that sound acceptable?"

"Of course!" Nami exclaimed gleefully as she eyed the huge sum of money. "Thank you for your help, Iceburg-san!"

Iceburg sweatdropped as he watched Nami eye the briefcases greedily. "Well, sure…anytime," he said.

The 6 briefcases were distributed amongst the 4 pirates. At that point, Kaku arrived back at Dock 1 and confirmed that their ship was irreparable, much to Usopp's dismay. The sniper then proceeded to ask about what kinds of ships they had for sale, and Kalifa handed him a brochure with all the latest models, while Iceburg explained each one in detail. Through it all, Nami and Usopp listened eagerly, Luffy pretended to listen but didn't really bother, and Robin was immersed in her own thoughts.

As they were speaking, two figures watched from the shadows, eyeing the briefcase in Usopp's hand with a predatory gaze. As they inched closer, Robin caught sight of them, and her eyes widened. Before she could take action though, Luffy's voice spoke up.

"Don't even try," the captain said authoritatively, without even turning around. His voice froze them in their tracks. Although he didn't look very intimidating, the Franky Family couldn't help but remember that this was the captain of the man who had kicked their collective asses that they were dealing with. As such, they started to sweat heavily.

Usopp did the same as he turned around and noticed their close proximity. _Damn, I shouldn't have zoned out there...I'm carrying a fortune on me! _

"Um...hi?" Zambai greeted nervously, seeing the hardened expression on Luffy's face. "We're just your everyday thugs trying to make a living. No need to get all—"

"Fuck off," Luffy interrupted, layering the command with a bit of Conqueror's Haki.

The Franky Family's next actions were wisely to do just that. As they ran, Iceburg sighed. "The Franky Family again. Well, sorry about that. They're attracted to valuables like moths to a lantern."

"Can we be glad they didn't get their hands on the money and consider the matter settled?" Kalifa asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Luffy said with a shrug.

"Who are they anyway?" Nami asked. "They don't seem like pirates."

"No, they're not. Officially, they're ship dismantlers, but they just do whatever they can to make a profit. Bounty hunting, thievery, black marketing, the whole deal. But since they only target pirates who are passing through, the Marines leave them to their own devices. Franky himself is no pushover, so we tend to do the same unless they target our customers."

"This Franky guy. Where can I find him?" Luffy asked suddenly.

Iceburg raised an eyebrow. "If you're planning to pick a fight with him, we'll be taking some of that money back for property damages, just so you know."

"If I wanted to pick a fight, I would have just beaten them up before they left," Luffy reasoned.

Iceburg hummed. "Fair point. Well, their base of operations is the Franky House. It's located on a peninsula on the east side of the island." He gave Luffy and odd look. "You shouldn't underestimate Franky, though. I don't suppose you're just stopping in to say hello?"

"Something like that," Luffy said with a grin.

"Well, it's your choice. Don't say I didn't warn you," Iceburg said, shrugging.

By the time they left Dock 1 to head back to the ship, Luffy could sense the distress coming off of Robin in waves. He winced in sympathy. He didn't want to prolong her worrying, but they couldn't exactly discuss what was going on in front of Galley-La. He'd been wondering how to address the issue of CP9 with Robin, but seeing her reaction to Rob Lucci's presence now, he wondered if the fact that she somehow already knew him was a blessing or a curse.

"Nami, Usopp, you guys go on back to the ship. We'll catch up with you," Luffy said, causing them to look at him curiously.

"Are you going to go talk to that Franky person?" Usopp asked.

"If you're going to go do something stupid, don't pull Robin into it," Nami chided.

"We just need to talk about something real quick," he assured. Usopp shrugged and kept walking. Although Nami looked like she wanted to question him further, she reluctantly turned away and followed behind Usopp.

Robin, who had been hiding her distress up until that point, took a deep breath. "I don't even know where to begin," she said tiredly.

"How do you know Lucci?" Luffy asked gently, providing a start to the conversation.

"8 years ago, I was working with an underground criminal organization in West Blue. They weren't much compared to Baroque Works, but they were capable enough for me to stay hidden. At least, until Rob Lucci was given a mission by the World Government to eradicate everyone involved. I was the only member to escape alive, and I fled to the Grand Line. It seems so long ago, but I'll never forget that face." She shuddered. "That man isn't human…Luffy, how do you know him? What is he doing here?"

"I think I can answer that," came a voice from nearby. Robin's eyes widened as she turned toward a nearby rooftop, where a man in a black cloak with red marks running down his face was listening in on their conversation. She instantly recognized him.

"You're with the Revolutionaries," she said. It wasn't a question. _I was so tense that I didn't notice we were being followed? Or is he just that good? _

"I am. Pleased to meet you, Nico Robin. The name is Mavric."

"What is it with you and jumping down from rooftops?" Luffy asked with a hint of amusement.

"Well, you'd be surprised how many people don't bother to look up even when they think they're being watched," Mavric replied.

"And why were you watching us?" Robin asked cautiously.

"Force of habit. I eavesdrop so much on the job that I tend to lose track of who I can be upfront with. Sorry about that. But enough about me. To answer your question, CP9 is after the Ancient Weapons."

Robin looked pale. "They knew I was coming," she inferred.

"Well, yes," Mavric replied. "But they're not just after you. In fact, you're not the primary reason they're here. You see, they've been working as undercover shipwrights for the past 5 years or so."

"How did you learn all of this?" Luffy asked curiously. "I thought you were just tailing _me_."

Mavric shrugged. "That was my assignment, but even if I can predict what course you'll take based on the log sequence, it's impossible to know when you'll arrive. So I had some time to kill."

"Didn't I say something along the lines of, 'If i see you again, I'll kick your ass?'" Luffy reminded him.

"Oh, is that what you said?" Mavric asked, sweating a bit. "Well, I would prefer for my ass to remain unkicked. What if I gave you some valuable information? Would you reconsider then?"

Luffy rolled his eyes. "What else do you know?"

"CP9 infiltrated Galley-La because the president, Iceburg, knows the whereabouts of the blueprints of one of the Ancient Weapons, Pluton." He grimaced. "We weren't able to find out where those blueprints were, though. If we did, we would have destroyed them already."

"And now that they know we're here?" Robin asked worriedly.

"From what I can tell, their plans for Iceburg haven't changed. They intend to steal the blueprints and assassinate him."

"How many of them are there?" Robin asked.

"From what we know, four. Lucci is their leader. Then there's Kaku from Dock 1, Blueno, the barkeeper, and Kalifa, Iceburg's personal assistant. We think that's all of them. They're planning something else, though. They've been getting new orders from the World Government, but it's all in code, and we haven't been able to interpret them."

Robin looked even more disconcerted upon hearing this.

"But now that you've arrived, they'll no doubt make a move against the Strawhat Pirates as well. If they get their hands on either of you, I see little hope for the world." He turned to Luffy. "Monkey-san, I don't know how you knew Rob Lucci, but not much about you makes sense to begin with. On Jaya, I told you to think of us as allies. Now, I'm here to offer my services. We'll continue to observe them, and let you know what else we learn. If the need arises, you'll have our full support."

Luffy could tell he was sincere, so he smiled. "Thanks. You may be a sneaky bastard, but you're not so bad."

"Be careful," Robin said. "If CP9 finds out that you're tailing them…"

"He'll be fine," Luffy said. "He's not as weak as he would have people believe."

Mavric smiled mischievously. "Now what would make you come to a conclusion like that, Monkey-san?"

Luffy rolled his eyes again. "In Jaya, you pretended to be floored by my haki, but I could tell you weren't really affected by it. Any reason for that?"

If the Revolutionary was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, he just smirked, and Robin was suddenly and unexplainably relieved that this man was seemingly on their side.

"You keep your secrets, Strawhat, and I'll keep mine," he replied, before jumping backwards onto the rooftops and disappearing from sight.

Robin turned back to Luffy and took another breath. The conversation evidently hadn't calmed her nerves at all. "Luffy, I can't do this."

Luffy blinked. "Do what?" he asked.

"_This,_" she repeated, motioning to Luffy and then back to herself. "This isn't my life. It's not going to work, and we both know it."

Luffy's eyes narrowed. "Don't even think about it," he whispered.

"I've already _thought_ about it. I've been thinking about it since you sent me an invitation to join you, and it's not simply going to go away. I can try to forget it, I can push it to the back of my mind, but it will always come back to haunt me, and I won't be able to run from it much longer," she said.

"Run from _what_? CP9? Rob Lucci? I could kick their collective asses any day of the week, and today is no exception. You have nothing to worry about," Luffy said.

"It's not _about_ CP9!" Robin exclaimed. She was beginning to lose her composure, which was a rare sight to see, but she didn't care. She needed Luffy to understand. "You get that this won't end, don't you? It won't end with Rob Lucci! Next it will be something worse. It'll keep getting worse until you can't win anymore! The World Government will hunt me down to the ends of the earth, and I can't let you all get caught up in that!"

"Robin, I don't know if you've noticed, but we've long since made it onto the World Government's shit list ourselves."

"Luffy, you took down a _pirate_. A Warlord, yes, but a corrupt one. Your worst crime to date was making them look bad. It's not the same with me. They don't just want to capture me to prove a point. I have knowledge that can _end all life as we know it_.

"Could you remind me again what your crime was?" Luffy asked sarcastically.

Robin sighed. "That's not the point and you know it. They may act like my very existence is a sin. But to them, capturing me means ending the Great Pirate Era. They'll stop at nothing! If because of my presence on your ship, one of you were to…" she trailed off, and hung her head. "I could never forgive myself," she whispered.

Luffy didn't know whether to be sympathetic or annoyed. "And you think I don't feel that way _every single day_, Robin? They know the risks, and so do I! Stop speaking as if you're a burden! We're _family_!"

Robin closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were moist. Hearing him say that meant more to her than he would ever know, but it was a bittersweet moment at best. She knew she was fighting a losing battle either way. No matter how much she tried to pretend she was one of them, her cursed fate would pull her away; no matter how much she tried to distance herself from them, her eternal longing for that which had always eluded her, that which she didn't _deserve_, would reel her back in.

"I'm not like you, Luffy," she said finally. "I can never truly be one of you, no matter how much you all pretend that I already am."

Luffy clenched his fists. "Do you really believe that?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter whether I do or don't. Because however much I try to convince myself that it's not true, the bane of my existence will continue to prove otherwise." She looked down sadly. "Do you remember that night that I woke up screaming? I never did tell you what I was dreaming about, did I? That's because I could barely convince myself that I'd been dreaming at all. At first I thought it really was just a nightmare. I woke up and fooled myself into thinking it was over. But I should have known better. It was my fault. I forgot who I was. Life has a cruel way of making you remember. It's ironic, really. I can see it now, as clearly as the border of light and darkness that separates us." She slowly raised a hand to his chest, placing it over his heart. "_This_ is the dream that I've been living. When I rose out of bed screaming that night, it was simply a grim reminder of the reality that I'd closed my eyes to. Even now, I still cling to that dream like a lifeline." She lowered her hand. "But I have to wake up eventually."

"Yeah, you do," Luffy said. "You're deluding yourself. You think you're the only one that the world is after? We're all on this ship because we each made a choice to paint targets on our backs and then trust each other to guard them. The only difference between you and the rest of us is that you _think_ there's something separating us. If what you say is true, then I've been living a dream too. For a fleeting moment, I dreamt that you trusted me."

Robin paled. "Luffy, I do trust you...it's just—"

"You don't. Not completely. You're still afraid. And not of the government; you've been dealing with them since you were 8. You're afraid of _us_, because we were the first ones to break your expectations, the first ones that made you _feel_ something. For so long, you locked away your emotions because they would only get you killed. And now that we've broken through that barrier you put up around yourself, you feel vulnerable. That's it, isn't it?"

Robin swallowed thickly. He had hit the nail on the head. How could he read her so easily?

"Robin," he continued. "We're not going to change just because the waves get rough. We're not going to leave you behind, and we'll _never_ betray you. You can run from us all you want. We'll follow you to Impel Down and back if we have to. Why can't you just accept that you belong with us?"

She bit her lip. "Because everywhere I go, disaster follows. Everyone I've ever associated myself with has fallen to ruin because of me. There was a time where I wouldn't care, but…" She took a deep breath. "But I can't let that happen this time. If my fate is going to bare its fangs at the ones I've finally come to see as family, I'd rather face my destiny here and now." She smiled bitterly. "The Last Oharan. Why do you think they call me Demon Spawn? It's not a title I chose for myself, or even an epithet I can be proud of. It's something I can never rid myself of. It's my legacy, the curse of my existence. Because no matter where I run, or how much I struggle, I can never escape the blood in my veins!"

Luffy was silent. "Neither can I," he said after a moment, causing her to look up at him in question before he continued. "I was born in a small village on Dawn Island, in East Blue." She stared at him curiously, wondering where he was going with this. "Before the start of the Great Pirate Era, there was another born on that same island, under the initial D."

Robin's eyes widened. _The Will of D? _She found herself eagerly listening. She knew one person who almost fit that description, but Gol D. Roger was born in Loguetown, not the Goa Kingdom.

"That man once came to the same conclusion you have. That his fate was cursed, and that his existence was a sin. But rather than despairing, he embraced it. He decided that if he was already damned, he'd raise Hell to the Heavens."

Robin took a deep breath as she let her curiosity get the better of her. "And what was that man's name?" she asked carefully.

Luffy looked her dead in the eye as he answered. "Monkey D. Dragon."

Robin gasped in shock. "The leader of the revolution...that's his full name…?" As Luffy nodded, she felt her body go numb. "Then you're…"

Luffy smiled empathetically. "You still think you're the only demon spawn in the crew?"

* * *

"Zoro," Nami called. There was no response. "Hey, Zoro!" she said louder. The swordsmen kept sleeping. She hit him over the head. "Wake up, dammit!"

Zoro rubbed his head before opening his eyes groggily. "What happened?" he asked, yawning. "Is it raining witches?"

"Which direction are Luffy and Robin in?" Nami asked, ignoring the barely coherent jab.

Zoro blinked before focusing for a moment and pointing in a seemingly random direction.

"That's the east side of the island," Nami said. "So he really went to see that Franky guy."

"Franky?" Zoro asked.

"He's a ship dismantler, among other things. Luffy said he wanted to talk to him for some reason."

Zoro hummed and stood up. "Guess nap time is over." He looked around to see Usopp, Sanji, and Chopper on deck. "How did the ship shopping go?"

"Well, that's the thing," Nami said. "We traded all the gold for money, but Luffy decided to come back before we started negotiating for a ship. He seemed really eager to go see this Franky figure. It was weird."

"I'm sure it's just another one of his whims. Just leave him to it," Zoro said, despite knowing roughly what Luffy was planning at this point.

"I just hope he knows what he's doing."

* * *

It was an average day at Franky house. They made some money, they lost some money, they tried to make some money, they failed to make some money. That's how it worked for the most part. You took what you could get, and then spent 90% of it on a party, only to try again tomorrow. Today though, they had missed out on quite the sum, so the boss was throwing an especially lively party to cheer them up. While they were aware that most criminal bosses would punish them for missing out on 200 million Belly when it was in plain sight, they were also aware that Franky was not normal by any means.

"All right, you super bastards! I'm feeling pretty super this week, so drink to your heart's content!" Franky shouted, while striking a pose. The Franky Family roared in approval, but before they could continue their binging, the door to Franky House was blown open. They all turned to the door in equal parts amusement and shock. Who was stupid enough to attack Franky Family at their base of operations?

Standing outside the door was Strawhat Luffy, his leg outstretched, and a jovial grin on his face.

Oh. Right.

"Who the hell are you, fool?" Franky asked in annoyance. "Do you know how long it's gonna take to fix that door?"

"Somewhere between 2 and 3 seconds?" the intruder asked, the grin never leaving his face.

Franky faltered. "Well...yeah, actually. But that's beside the point!"

"So you're Franky, I assume?" the man asked.

"Who wants to know?" Franky asked in response.

"Boss, that's the guy!" Zambai shouted. "He's was the one walking around with over a billion Belly on him!"

"Oh?" Franky asked, interest piqued. "Pirates with style, huh? You've got some nerve coming here of all places. Now, is there any reason why I shouldn't kick your ass and rob you blind?"

Luffy looked amused. "Oh, is this really happening? Because I really hope it is."

"You tell me, bastard! You came here!" Franky challenged. "So either start explaining why, or get ready for an ass whooping!"

"Fine. I came to make a deal," Luffy revealed, as we walked in, Robin following closely behind him. Franky raised an eyebrow as she caught sight of the woman that Iceburg's hair had been greying over all these years. She didn't look very dangerous. In fact, she was staring at the ground, not meeting anyone's eyes. Although...she didn't look intimidated. Just...preoccupied.

It was then that the Franky Family noticed that they were carrying three briefcases, which Zambai recognized immediately.

"No way! You brought it? Does the mean…?"

"That's right. I'm offering it, in exchange for your services," the Strawhat captain replied, still looking at Franky.

"My services? What would a bunch of pirates want with me?" Franky asked curiously.

"I want you to build us a ship," Luffy revealed, causing murmurs to break out among the other occupants of the building.

"Build you a ship? Bro, you know we're dismantlers right?" Franky asked in amusement.

"Yeah. I also know you're one of the best shipwrights in the world," Luffy said.

Franky's eyes narrowed. "And you know that, how?" he asked, not bothering to deny it.

"I have my ways," Luffy said with a smirk. "But that's a story for another time. I'm willing to provide you with 600 million Belly to make us a ship out of Adam Wood.

Franky's eyes widened. That was an absurd amount, even for a ship created from the Treasure Tree. "You're willing to pay that much? How do you even know I'll use all of it? I'm not exactly an established vendor. I could just rip you off."

"Probably," Luffy admitted. "But I don't think you will. After all, how many people can say that they built a ship that made it to the end of the Grand Line?"

Franky actually smirked. "Only one person in history has made that claim, and it was someone I respected deeply. Who are you again, kid?"

"Monkey D. Luffy, future Pirate King."

"Strawhat Luffy, huh? I should have guessed. You're the outrageous rookie that so many people have been talking about lately." He thought for a moment. It was true that he could rip them off, but it wasn't really his style. He had sworn to never build a ship again, and he wasn't going to break that promise just to make a profit. It all came down to whether this kid had what it took or not. If he did, he'd be following in his mentor's footsteps. If not...well, he had more to gain than to lose anyway. The kid was offering him the money on a silver platter, after all.

It wasn't that assurance that had his mind set, however. It was the pure, endless conviction in the man's eyes that did it.

"Strawhat, you've got yourself a deal," he said.

* * *

As Luffy and Robin exited the Franky House, having left the 600 million Belly behind, Robin spoke up. "You handled that rather well," she commented. "But is there a reason why you want this man in particular to build our new ship?"

Luffy smiled inwardly at her use of the word 'our.' Robin had been very quiet after their discussion, but he could tell he had gotten through to her. She was still slightly unsure, but it was nevertheless a great step toward her realizing that she was and would always be one of them.

"He's good at what he does," Luffy said. "Just as good as Iceburg, if I had to guess. But Iceburg is too busy to build us a ship personally, so he's the best choice."

"I hope Navigator-san feels the same way," Robin pointed out, and Luffy laughed.

"She'll come around," he said. It was then that he sensed someone approaching them. It was a familiar aura, but at the same time, he had never felt it radiate so much..._panic_. He held a hand out to Robin, who stopped alongside him.

Mavric approached them through the air using Geppou, at an impressive speed. When he touched down in front of them, Luffy's demeanor changed immediately. The man was pale, and his face was covered in sweat. Whatever was going on, if it had him this shaken…

"What is it?" Luffy asked. "What did you find?"

"Strawhat, you need to get that First Mate of yours over here right now. We're in deep shit!" Mavric said urgently.

"Calm down. What happened?" Luffy asked. "I assume it's more than CP9 making a move if you're losing your cool like this."

"CP9 is the least of our troubles," Mavric said. "Signal Roronoa. _Now."_

Luffy wasted no more time and flared his aura as high as he could, and soon felt the familiar aura on the Going Merry flicker in response. "Alright, he's coming. Now will you tell me what the hell is going on?"

"That's a question I've been wanting to ask you for some time now, Strawhat Luffy."

Luffy froze. His fists clenched, and without even thinking, he positioned himself in front of Robin, who had gasped at the sound of the voice. Finally noticing the perfectly suppressed aura in close proximity, he slowly turned around to meet the narrowed eyes of Marine Admiral Aokiji.

* * *

A/N: What? You didn't see that coming?


	52. The Law and the Lawless

Over 2000 reviews now thanks to the 150 from last chapter. And 3000 follows as well. Should I push you guys off of cliffs more often? Not that I haven't been doing it a fair amount recently.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter LII: The Law and the Lawless

Paulie of Dock 1 coughed up a wad of blood and collapsed to the floor. He swore under his breath. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't even serious enough about this fight to aim at his vitals. Despite that fact, Paulie could barely move with the numerous stab wounds to his arms and legs.

It had all happened so fast. Iceburg had retreated back to his office when there was an attack on the building. Windows had shattered, and the entire structure had seemingly been cut in half. The stairway leading to the bottom floor had collapsed, and the rest of the building looked like it was soon to follow. There was no other way in or out, save for his ropes. But for that he'd have to get past the intruders, and the chances of that were looking slimmer by the second.

"Damn it all," Paulie rasped. "Who...the hell are you people!?"

"Paulie, enough!" Iceburg shouted. "Tilestone and Lulu were beaten effortlessly! You can't win!"

"The hell I can't," he replied, struggling to his feet. "Like hell I'm going to let you get killed! If I can hold them until Lucci and Kaku get here, we'll stand a much better chance."

One of their adversaries began chuckling lowly at this. "I wonder if that will work out for you, Paulie," he spoke for the first time. It was a voice he didn't recognize. He brought his hands up to his head and removed the headpiece he was wearing, revealing the ever impassive face of Rob Lucci.

Iceburg and Paulie were numb with shock. "Lucci…?" Iceburg asked in disbelief.

"You bastard," Paulie seethed. "You could speak all along!?"

"As much as I'd like to answer all of your questions, I'm in a bit of a rush at the moment," Lucci said emotionlessly "Kaku, if you would?"

The figure next to him also revealed himself, showing that it was indeed Kaku. A moment later, Kalifa and Blueno also unmasked themselves. Paulie gritted his teeth. "Damn it...why…of all people…" Tears leaked from his eyes. "Why did it have to be you!? Despite everything, I've always thought of you as comrades!"

Although the other three were silent at this, Lucci answered easily. "You were the only one," he said coldly, before disappearing from sight and knocking out Paulie with a simple kick to the head.

Meanwhile, Kaku had grabbed Iceburg by the wrist. The man tried to break his grip, to no avail.

"Relax. I simply want you to confirm a theory of mine," Lucci said with a chilling smile.

* * *

Luffy inwardly cursed as he sensed what was happening in the city. There was nothing he could do to help Iceburg now without leaving Robin open to attack at the hands of a Marine Admiral. Even if he tried to take her with him, Aokiji would intercept him.

He knew that Maveric wasn't strong enough to hold off an admiral. Quite frankly, neither was he at the moment. So he stayed put. Luckily, Zoro was almost here. He just had to stall a bit.

"Monkey D. Luffy," Aokiji spoke up. "I'm sure you've already concluded that you can't help Iceburg. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm technically not supposed to meddle in the affairs of the Cipher Pols, but I've made it clear that I'd be..._displeased_ if they did any lasting damage to Iceburg or his workers. Despite the fact that CP9 answers directly the the higher-ups, they know that I could still make their lives very difficult if they didn't comply."

"So, you're saying we should focus on you, then?" Mavric asked with a smirk that belied his apprehension.

"Well, let's hold off on that. You wouldn't stand much of a chance until his First Mate arrives anyway, as I'm sure you both know," Aokiji drawled.

Luffy was silent.

"What I want to know," Aokiji continued, "Is how you've already pushed us this far. To be forced to dispatch a Marine Admiral after a rookie pirate crew is, to put it bluntly, unprecedented. There have been instances where a Marine of such a rank may have acted of their own accord, but that would always be by choice. Your little stunt in the Alabastian waters has made it very clear what scale of force would be required to capture you all. So," he paused as a violent wind started to blow, and Zoro materialized next to his captain, "Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, how is it that two teenage rookies from East Blue are each stronger than some of our best Vice Admirals?"

Zoro scoffed. "I do a lot of pushups and situps."

Luffy smirked. "I drink plenty of juice."

Aokiji smiled wryly. "I suppose you're not going to tell me that easily," he said as Luffy raised his fists and Zoro unsheathed his swords. "Well, whatever it is, it doesn't change the fact that your crew scares the crap out of me. You won't be leaving here of your own accord. The same goes for you, Nico Robin."

Robin, who had been silent through it all, glared at the admiral in defiance. "Why did you even let me go all those years ago? Am I just some mistake on your track record that you're trying to cover up?"

Aokiji narrowed his eyes. "I could explain it to you, but it wouldn't change anything. I came here to end this once and for—"

He was interrupted by a Haki-imbued flying slash, courtesy of Zoro, which he was forced to dodge. It whizzed by the space where his throat had previously occupied, causing Aokiji to narrow his eyes.

"Let's skip the rest of your speech and get on with this," Luffy said as he, Zoro, and Mavric all got into ready positions.

"Ararara. So impatient. There was only one word left in my so-called speech," Aokiji said. "But very well."

"Robin!" Luffy shouted as ice began to coat the admiral's figure. "Sanji and the others are on their way! Find them and lay low until help comes!" Robin bit her lip, knowing full well the significance of what he was asking her to do, even if he didn't. And realizing she wouldn't be much help here, she turned and ran. Aokiji made no move to follow her.

As she looked back, the last thing she saw was Luffy and Zoro both charging the Admiral.

* * *

Iceburg grunted in pain as he continued to haul Paulie's dead weight to the window. He was aggravating his wounds, but he didn't care. He had been unable to rouse Paulie, as well as Lulu and Tilestone, which meant that he had to somehow get the three unconscious men out of the building before it collapsed. The chances of that weren't looking too good, seeing as he could barely carry one of them with his injuries.

Alternatively, he could make the jump out the window himself, and leave the three men behind. There was a chance he'd survive the three story fall if he landed on his legs. The other option was the building collapsing in on itself with all four of them still in it.

_Well, there are worse ways to die, _Iceburg thought sardonically as he sat down next to his three loyal workers. _I just hope Franky and Nico Robin can avoid capture._

Suddenly, two cloaked figures jumped in through the window, seemingly using the same techniques that Lucci, Kaku, and Kalifa had. Iceburg sighed. _Oh, what now? We're already dead as dirt._

It was to his surprise when the one figure grabbed both Lulu and Tilestone and hauled the two over his shoulders, and the other did the same with him and Paulie.

"What are you—"

"Relax," one of the figures said. "We're not with CP9. We're here to get you all to safety."

Having nothing to lose, Iceburg stayed silent as they each jumped out of the window. Iceburg braced for impact against the ground, only for their descent to be slowed before they reached it. Their two unknown saviors landed with grace.

"Iceburg-san!" a man shouted, getting the attention of the surrounding bystanders.

Soon, a crowd gathered around them, asking what had happened, and how the building had been destroyed.

"Who are these guys?" one man asked, referring to the two cloaked figures.

"It's ok, they saved our lives," Iceburg vouched, as his three workers were hauled onto a stretcher. They tried to do the same with him, but he refused. "Do you know what's happening with CP9? Is Franky OK?"

"The four CP9 agents are on their way to confront the Strawhat Pirates," the one that had spoken before answered. "They have yet to assault Franky. It is my understanding that their orders are to apprehend Nico Robin first." The other figure turned to the first, speaking for the first time.

"What should we do? We don't stand a chance against CP9 without Mavric," he said.

"The best we can do is make sure Franky knows the situation," the first answered. He turned to Iceburg. "If we take you there, can you explain what's happening to him?" he asked.

Iceburg nodded his consent, and for the sake of punctuality, he was thrown over the agent's shoulder again, much to his chagrin.

* * *

Sanji, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper were all making their way over to the east side of the island. Zoro had gone ahead of them, so they were now relying on Sanji to help them find the other crew members. Said chef was itching to speed up and see what was going on, but was reluctant to leave his other crew members behind. His brow furrowed as he tried to decipher the chaos that his senses were picking up on.

"What is it, Sanji-kun?" Nami asked urgently.

"They've split up," the chef stated. "Luffy and Zoro are fighting someone…"

"Do you recognize them?" Usopp asked.

"No, but whoever he is, he's monstrously strong. Normally I can't even sense people from this far away. But then this guy's aura appears out of nowhere, and I can feel it from halfway across the island."

"Will Luffy and Zoro be OK?" Chopper asked worriedly.

"I'm not worried about those two...they've never needed help before. But Robin-chan's gone off alone. She's headed towards us, but..." His brow furrowed as he focused his Observation Haki more. His eyes widened. "Shit. Guys, keep heading east until you find us. I'm going to need to pick up the pace."

And with that, he sped up to maximum speed, leaving the other three in his wake.

* * *

Robin was running as fast as her legs could carry her. Disparaging thoughts raced traitorously through her frantic mind. She hadn't felt this low in a long time. She had just left behind her crew members to face off against a Marine Admiral. And not just any Marine Admiral, but the one whose face made a recurring appearance in her nightmares. In the end, she was running. She was always running. The difference was that this time she had been ordered to, but was that really an excuse?

_Run, Robin!_

The voice from her most recent nightmare echoed through her mind again, and she grit her teeth. Logically, she still knew that running was the better option. Had she stayed, she would have been a liability for Luffy and Zoro, who were now in for the fight of their lives. But that wouldn't stop the treacherous whispers from the darker depths of her conscience.

_It's always this way, isn't it? You're still the same. They may not abandon you when the waves get rough, but can you say the same for yourself?_

Her breathing grew heavier than it normally would under such a mundane task as running.

_Murderer. Betrayer. __**Demonspawn**__._

She was broken out of her thoughts as a swift wind came rushing towards her. She stopped in her tracks just in time, and the wind blade passed in front of her face. She turned and came face to face with Rob Lucci, along with three others, two of which she recognized from Galley-La company.

"Don't move. That was a warning shot," Kalifa said.

Robin crossed her arms to use her Devil Fruit, and immediately Iceburg's former secretary shot another Rankyaku at her, which she leapt to the side to dodge. As she did so, arms sprouted over her assailant. As she attempted a Clutch, however, Kalifa's muscles tensed, and Robin had to struggle to retain her grip as the woman attempted to break out of her hold. Numerous more arms sprouted around her, and slowly Robin was making leeway.

Or she would have been, if there weren't three others.

She realized she had to move, but still she was too slow to dodge the next Rankyaku had Kaku casually sent her way completely. It nicked her shoulder even as she leapt to the side. They were playing with her.

"Looks like you may have earned that bounty of 79 million after all," Kaku commented. He sounded genuinely impressed, but it was hard to tell. "Still, you shouldn't test us. You really don't stand much of a chance, to be honest."

Robin crossed her arms again in defiance, getting ready to clutch Kalifa before the woman could regain her bearings.

That was when Blueno _blurred_ towards her.

Although she was taken aback by his speed, she was still able to switch targets in time to stop him in his tracks.

Or she would have been, if he hadn't _literally_ disappeared into thin air.

"_**Air Door**_," said a voice from behind her. Immediately she spun around, but he was too close. He leapt out of the atmospheric dimensional pocket and aimed a kick at her head to incapacitate.

"_**Mutton Shot!**__"_

Sanji materialized right in front of her, and his foot connected with Blueno's face. The heavy weight man was sent crashing into a building before plummeting into the water below.

Kalifa sighed. "I'll go get him," she volunteered, before using a quick Soru to go after the Devil Fruit user and jumping into the water.

"I wish I could say that was one down," Sanji said. "Are you alright, Robin-chan?"

"I'm fine," she replied, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Thank you, Sanji."

"That was a Soru," Lucci said, speaking for the first time since the four had arrived. "You," he said, addressing Sanji, "Where did pirate scum like yourself learn Rokushiki?"

"What the hell's that, you bastard?" Sanji asked mockingly. "I moved really fast. You about to tell me I broke the law?" He smirked. "It's like you said, I'm a pirate. So forgive me if I don't give a shit."

Lucci's eyes narrowed, and then he disappeared from Robin's sight. A shockwave spread out from the point of their clash. Sanji gritted his teeth in pain as he blocked Lucci's kick, but he quickly ducked under the follow up and thrust his foot upwards, kicking the agent in the chin. Lucci did a backflip and recovered, and Sanji was surprised to note that there wasn't a scratch on him.

Kalifa and Blueno now appeared next to Kaku, who was standing back and watching indulgently. Blueno, who had a large bruise on his face, was glaring at Sanji with an uncharacteristic intensity.

"Back off," Lucci said emotionlessly, causing Blueno to rethink his next action. "He's mine."

* * *

"_**Gomu Gomu no…**_" Luffy's fists blackened and ignited as he entered Gear Second again. "_**Red Hawk Storm**_!"

Aokiji shot forward in the form of a blizzard, weaving through the assault with all the evasiveness of an arctic wind. Luffy leapt backwards as the blizzard approached him, but Aokiji's hand materialized behind him, forcing him to jump above it and escape using Geppo. The blizzard followed him, and he quickly sent a jet gatling into it, only for Aokiji's Haki to overpower his own, rendering the attack fruitless. The blizzard surrounded him, and he felt the cold begin to seep into his body once again.

"_**Three Sword Style, Great Dragon Twister!**_" Zoro came back covered in minor frost burns and dispersed the blizzard with a large whirlwind of blades. Mavric took his chance and appeared behind him, aiming a shigan to the back of his head, but Aokiji dodged it and repelled him with a blast of frigid air.

He reformed on the ground as the three landed. Out of all of them, Mavric was looking the worst off, being covered in frost burns, but was still managing.

"_**Gomu Gomu no, Eagle Storm!**_" Aokiji dispersed again, gliding over the assault, only to realize it was just a feint as Luffy jumped up to meet him. _**"Red Hawk!" **_The attack hit head-on, and this time, solidified him. His Haki still protected him from the worst of it, and he grabbed Luffy by the throat, ignoring the minor burns. Ice began to coat Luffy's body, but before Luffy himself was frozen, Zoro intervened again, with three swords blackened and ablaze.

"_**Fire Dragon Dive!" **_As he descended upon Aokiji, his swords easily seared through him, only for the Logia to reform several meters away. A small gash could be seen on his shoulder. Mavric followed up with a Rankyaku, buying the other two more time, but his Haki wasn't strong enough to solidify the Admiral. Aokiji waved one arm and blew the Revolutionary away once again.

Luffy quickly broke off the ice that was covering him, using Life Return to warm up his body. As long as he wasn't completely frozen alive, he'd be fine. If he was completely frozen alive...well, he'd worry about that later.

As the three got ready again, Aokiji raised his arms, and a wave of ice shot outwards. Luffy and Zoro separated, both punching and slashing their way through ice as the blizzard intensified, and Mavric took flight above them. The entire area froze around them, but Luffy could tell Aokiji was being careful not to endanger the residents of Water 7. He allowed himself to be thankful for the small blessing that he was dealing with Aokiji and not Akainu. If he wanted, the admiral could freeze the entire island.

By now, all three combatants were slowly getting frostbite from the blizzard, which continued to pick up, but they pressed on, punching and cutting through ice projectiles and narrowly avoiding getting turned into ice sculptures. Despite his determination not to underestimate the two Strawhats like so many other Marines had, Aokiji had still been surprised by their prowess.

_We need to get rid of this blizzard, _Luffy thought. "Zoro!"

"Right!"

"_**Gomu Gomu no…**_"

"_**Three Sword Style…**_"

"_**3000 Caliber Phoenix Magnum!**_" The collaboration strike lit up the city block in shockwave of pressure and heat, causing a large amount of property damage and melting most the ice in the vicinity.

In the middle of the inferno, Aokiji's aura vanished, but the two stayed alert. "There's no way that was enough," Zoro muttered.

He was soon proven right as Aokiji materialized once again behind Luffy, looking disheveled but not deterred, and another wave of ice shot towards the rubberman. Zoro dashed towards them and brandished his swords at the Admiral, but was too late; the ice wave hit Luffy and froze him from head to toe.

"_**Three Thousand Worlds**__**!**_" Aokiji simply phased through his attack like a specter. Zoro cursed as he gazed upon Luffy's frozen form. Even if he entered Asura now, there was no guarantee he could win. They had wanted to weaken Aokiji more before bringing out the big guns, but that plan had seemingly backfired.

Aokiji sent wave after wave of ice at Zoro, who did his best to parry them all, swords still ablaze. But soon he began to be pushed back, and the cold started seeping further and further under his skin. He sent numerous flying slashes in return, but Aokiji either phased through them or avoided them altogether. He was losing ground. Mavric descended upon Aokiji once more, attempting a point blank Rankyaku, but Aokiji caught his leg and froze it instantly, causing him to grunt in pain. He was seized by the throat, much the same way Luffy had been, and his blood quite literally ran cold. Zoro was suddenly there, cutting off Aokiji's arm and causing Mavric to be dropped to the ground, where he fell to one knee. Aokiji's arm reformed, revealing a small cut, but nothing more.

"Roronoa...I'm sorry in advance for this," Mavric panted as his entire body went numb. "But I think I'm at my...limit…" His eyes became unfocused and he collapsed into the ground, out cold.

Suddenly, an ungodly roar ripped through the air, and both remaining combatants looked to see the ice being blasted off of Luffy's body as a wave of pure willpower spread out from him.

Aokiji's eyes widened. "Conqueror's Haki…"

Luffy was breathing heavily as he tried to get his body temperature back to a manageable level. "You won't...get rid of me...that easily…"

* * *

Sanji was panting as he tried to ward off Lucci's assaults. He was giving as many hits as he got, but this guy had some technique that let him strengthen his body to the point where it was harder than steel. If he had been fighting that blade guy from Alabasta, he was confident his opponent would have been out cold by now.

Lucci grunted in annoyance as the pirate he was fighting avoided another hail of Rankyaku and, using Soru, landed another kick to his sternum. Black Leg wasn't as fast as him, but he was avoiding his attacks with surprising efficiency. It was as if he could predict his movements. He knew some Vice Admirals who could do the same thing, but a rookie pirate? He wasn't even one of the two that CP9 had been warned about.

"Sanji, Robin, hang on!" came Usopp's panicked voice as he, Nami, and Chopper realized what was going on. Before Sanji could warn him otherwise, he pulled out his modified slingshot and took aim at Lucci.

"_**Firebird Star!**_"

Lucci didn't even flinch as the flame bullet hit him in the side of the head, erupting into a large bird shaped inferno. When it cleared, he was standing calmly in the middle of the scorched ground, eyes still trained on Sanji.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Usopp bemoaned. "At least notice me!"

Lucci's eyes now moved toward the sniper, who swallowed thickly. "Or don't. Whichever."

"I wouldn't interrupt him," Kaku said from beside Blueno and Khalifa. "Once he gets like this, he has a one-track mind," he explained. "Still...part of our mission is to capture Nico Robin." He turned to the other two next to him. "Hey, let's leave Lucci to his little game and carry out our orders, shall we?"

Lucci growled at the wording. Kaku was the only one who got away with this shit around him, and for good reason. If nothing else, he respected strength. But really? Little game?

"Just get on with it," he said, causing the Strawhats to tense, as he engaged Sanji again.

"We won't let you take Robin!" Chopper shouted. He didn't know who these guys were, but he wasn't going to stand back and let them abduct one of their crewmates. Nami and Usopp were on the same page as they readied their weapons.

Blueno suddenly used a Soru to appear right in front of them. "Stay out of the way," he said calmly. "You're no match for us. To go against CP9 is to go against the World Government."

"You don't really get the whole 'pirate' concept, do you?" Usopp asked as he took aim at the agent.

"Kalifa, assist Blueno," Kaku ordered. "Nico Robin could give you some trouble, and we're on a tight schedule." The woman nodded and turned towards Nami, Usopp, and Chopper, only for arms to come out of the ground and grab her again. Robin, knowing the three Strawhats couldn't hold their own against two CP9 agents at once. Before she could do anything else, Kaku had appeared in front of her and kicked her, hard. The arms around Kalifa disappeared, and she gasped as she was sent careening into the air. She used her powers to form a net to catch herself, but grunted in pain when she hit it. That kick had bruised her ribs, and possibly fractured one. She had barely even seen it coming.

She heard a roar of fury that sounded distinctly like Sanji, and looked up to see the chef now pressing Kaku, completely ignoring Lucci. The difference between the two agents was clear; even winded, Sanji was putting a lot of pressure on him. Kaku gritted his teeth in pain as his Tekkai barely held up against a kick to his side.

It wasn't to last, however, as Lucci intervened again, landing a punch to Sanji's head that knocked him away. Blood dripped down his face, but he ignored it, and began spinning rapidly in a circle until his leg caught fire.

"_**Diable Jambe!**_" he shouted, before aiming a flaming kick at Kaku, which was intercepted by Lucci. The agent grunted as the heat bypassed his Tekkai, but he spun around and kicked Sanji away before giving chase using Soru.

Meanwhile, Chopper and Usopp were being overwhelmed by Blueno and Kalifa. Chopper quickly took a Rumble Ball before switching to Arm Point and charging at Blueno.

"Get out of my way!" Chopper growled, having seen Robin get hurt.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" the heavyweight agent asked mockingly. "Your punches are weak," he said as he used Tekkai.

"_**Kokutei, Cross!**_" Chopper's hooves left an imprint in Blueno's torso, causing him to grunt in pain as he slid back a few feet. He looked up and glared at Chopper, before using Soru and aiming a kick at the Zoan user.

Chopper had just enough time to go into Guard Point, but it didn't do much good. The Rankyaku still pierced his arm and he was blown flying backwards. Usopp aimed another _Firebird Star_ atBlueno, but it was dodged, and he received a heavy punch to the stomach. He gasped, coughing up blood, and sank to the ground. Blueno raised his leg for an axe kick that would crush Usopp's skull, but thinking quickly, Usopp absorbed the blow with an Impact Dial. Blueno's confusion cost him a precious second, which Usopp used to bring the dial up to Bluno's chest and press down. The assassin was immediately launched backwards, but did a roll on the ground to recover.

As he tried to puzzle out what had just happened, Chopper approached him in Walk Point. Blueno aimed a Rankyaku at the reindeer, but he switched to Jumping Point and leapt into the air. Blueno quickly followed using Geppo and punched him away again. As Chopper landed, he descended upon him and aimed a Shigan at his throat, but Usopp hit him with another _**Firebird Star**_, which threw off his aim enough for Chopper to jump back and recover.

Nami was being overwhelmed by Khalifa. She couldn't get enough of a reprieve from the woman's attacks to use Mirage Tempo, let alone hit her with any lightning, which took some time to charge. She was managing to fend off the attacks which her staff, but it wouldn't be long before she was hit, and she doubted she could withstand many of these attacks. Parrying a Shigan with her Clima-Tact, she coated the staff in electricity and swung it at the CP9 agent, but the attack was dodged effortlessly. Before she could react, a swift kick was aimed at the back of her head, knocking her unconscious.

Chopper panted heavily as he was now forced to face Blueno alone. Usopp had gotten in one more hit with the Impact Dial, but he had been knocked out shortly after. He gasped as he realized that his time limit for the Rumble Ball had just run out. Feeling he had no choice, he got ready to take the second one, but while he was focused on Blueno, Kalifa came up from behind him and aimed Rankyaku at his back. He groaned and fell forward. Blueno wasted no time and rendered him unconscious with a punch to the head as he fell.

Robin watched in horror as her crewmates were taken out one by one. Sanji had gotten a couple more hits in on Lucci with _Diable Jambe_, but Lucci had endured them, and now he was at his limit with the technique. To make things worse, Kaku still wasn't letting her join the fight.

"Stop!" she shouted suddenly, realizing that the other three could be killed now if this continued. "Enough. I'll go with you. Just leave them alive," she said desperately.

Kaku raised an eyebrow at the request, before turning to Lucci. "You know, we are running low on time. I didn't expect this much resistance from them. Besides, Admiral Aokiji made it clear that our only targets were Nico Robin and whoever had the blueprints."

Lucci sighed. "That man is much too soft. Fine." He turned to Sanji, who was down on one knee and trying to catch his breath. "Seeing as you've been beaten, I have no more business with you. Remember this defeat, and don't challenge us again." He turned his back on the chef, who struggled to his feet.

"Where do you think you're going, you government dog? I'm not done yet!" he insisted.

Lucci narrowed his eyes, before transforming into his Zoan hybrid form and disappearing using Soru. He kneed Sanji in the stomach, causing the chef to double over.

"That was in poor taste," the leopard man said quietly. "I'm not a dog, clearly."

He proceeded to backhand Sanji in the head, who finally blacked out as he hit a building.

The assassin group took out a pair of handcuffs and arrested the now docile Robin. None of them asked Lucci whether his conspicuous injuries needed attention. They knew better. As she was led away, Robin took one look back at the unconscious Strawhat Pirates.

_Forgive me, everyone..._

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. It was pretty hard to write, and it didn't help that I'm in the middle of recovering from getting my wisdom teeth removed. Hopefully I'll make a quick recovery and get the next chapter to you sooner. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Lost out.


	53. Heart of Ice

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter LIII: Heart of Ice

"Hey, Zambai," Franky spoke up as he picked up a card from the deck they were playing with.

"Yeah, Aniki?" Zambai replied, eyes not leaving his hand.

"You ever feel like you're missing something that you should really be a part of?"

"Sure. It usually happens when I'm missing out on a big score."

"Yeah, me too, but it's not money this time. I feel like I'm missing some action."

"Not to be rude Aniki, but you get more of that than the rest of us combined, and I don't need to know what you mean by "action," to be sure of that, because it works both ways."

Franky sighed. "Never mind," he said as he pushed all his chips toward the center of the table. "All in."

"Fold."

"Fold."

"What!? Are we playing poker here or doing origami?" Franky demanded. "Learn a little from Zambai, at least he's still—"

"Fold."

"Cowards, the lot of ya."

The Franky Family was interrupted from their dead end game when the door to the Franky House got blown down for the second time that day.

"Are you kidding me!? I just fixed that!" Franky shouted. "That was two and a half seconds of my life! You better have a good explanation for this, Idiotburg!" Upon looking more closely at his old friend, he added in a slightly concerned voice, "And how did you get those injuries? Who are these guys?"

"Franky! You have to run! Take the blueprints and get out of here! CP9 is on its way!" Iceburg yelled urgently.

Franky's demeanor immediately grew serious. _So…this day has finally come._

"CP9 did this to you then? I'm surprised they got passed Galley-La," Franky commented.

Iceburg gritted his teeth. "I was betrayed. They had agents in Dock 1. Lucci and Kaku. Kalifa and Blueno are with them too."

Franky's eyes widened. That was a serious breach. They had all been living in this city for years. To think they'd been the enemy all along…

"Never mind that now, Franky," Iceburg said. "You have to go into hiding. If they get their hands on the blueprints—"

"Screw that," Franky said instantly. "I told you the day you gave them to me that I wouldn't just leave Water 7, and I'm not about to leave now when the shit hits the fan."

"Dammit, Franky! Can you swallow your pride for _once_? The world is more important than this!"

"You're quite right," came a voice from behind them, causing them both to freeze. "That's why, for the sake of the world, you'll hand over those blueprints, _Franky,_" Lucci said as he walked into the building. "Or should I say, Cutty Flam?"

* * *

Marine Admiral Aokiji was starting to get annoyed. Just a few minutes ago, it seemed as if his battle with the two notorious East Blue rookies had begun to draw to a close. Now, it seemed as if they had gained a second wind. They were fighting even harder than before, and although he was far from fatigued, Aokiji was actually beginning to feel the effects of their long fight. It wouldn't be so frustrating, perhaps, if he was dealing with two of the higher ups of a Yonko crew, but Paradise rookies? This was ridiculous.

He knew he would have to go all out if he wanted to defeat these two. But he couldn't do that in the middle of the city. He was a Marine, not a mass murderer of the innocent. So with that in mind, he leapt backwards, forming a pair of wings out of ice, and took to the air.

"Pheasant Flight," he muttered, before taking off in the direction of the sea. Luffy and Zoro, who had been preparing another collaboration strike, stared after him in bemusement. They shared a quick look at each other before taking off themselves. In the opposite direction. The direction of CP9 and Nico Robin's auras.

Aokiji inwardly groaned. _I suppose I should have given them more credit than that. _He quickly switched directions and prepared to intercept them again.

* * *

Franky coughed up blood and fell backwards onto the floor _again _as he tried to remember if Kaku had been anywhere near this strong the last time they fought. He was leaning heavily towards no.

Things weren't looking good. Zambai, Mozu, and Kiwi had already been defeated along with the rest of the Franky Family, and the strangers that had arrived with Iceburg were faring about as well as he was. Although he had initially had the upper hand against Blueno, it had all gone downhill once Lucci and Kaku stepped in. He struggled to his feet and prepared to continue the hopeless fight.

Kaku sighed. "You know, we really don't have time for this, so…" he blurred forward, delivering a barrage of kicks to Franky's stomach before the cyborg could react. "Could you please stay down?"

Franky couldn't seem to muster of the strength to stand up again. He was lifted off the ground, and felt a whip wrapping around him, the thorns digging into his steel body. Although they wouldn't draw blood, they still hurt, and achieved their role of immobilizing him.

Blueno finished searching the place and turned back towards Lucci. "There's no sign of the blueprints," he reported.

"In that case, it seems we're taking Franky as well," Lucci said, as if it didn't really matter to him either way. "We're going. Leave Iceburg alive, as per Admiral Aokiji's orders." He seemed a bit annoyed as he said that. The plan to make Iceburg's death in the collapsing building look like an accident to the Admiral hadn't gone over well, after all.

"What about the Revolutionaries?" Kalifa asked.

"Kill them," he said simply.

The heavily injured Revolutionary Army members looked on with hard, fearless expressions as Kaku and Blueno drew closer.

* * *

Usopp's eyes cracked open, sunlight filtering through his eyelids, and he groaned. Slowly, he forced his eyes open, and sat up. What was he doing lying in the middle of the street at sunset again?

At once, the memories came rushing back to him. "Robin!" he shouted, looking around frantically. Both she and her abductors were gone. Panic started to take hold. He hastily ran toward Sanji and shook him by the shoulders. "Sanji! Wake up! They took Robin!"

Slowly, Sanji's eyes began to crack open as well, before he shot up into a seated position, headbutting Usopp in the process. As the sniper rubbed his head, Sanji began to observe their surroundings. Catching sight of Nami and Chopper's prone forms, the bitter sting of defeat welled up inside him once more. He had failed. He would not fail again.

Reaching out with his Observation Haki, he found Robin's aura, along with those of CP9, and one other, at the edge of the island. He growled as he inferred that they were about to leave, and jumped to his feet. He quickly leapt over to Nami's side, gently shaking her awake, as Usopp went and roused Chopper. They had to move quickly.

* * *

Aokiji's brow furrowed in confusion. He was currently giving chase to the two leading members of the Strawhat crew, who had switched up their strategy and were now using hit and run tactics as they attempted to move the fight in the direction of the seatrain. But that was just it. While it may have been there goal to save Nico Robin, shouldn't they know better than to take the fight to the sea? Devil fruit user or not, the sea was _his_ territory. They were already hard pressed to win this fight, and they were planning on giving an ice-man a practically endless supply of water? Granted, they were causing quite a lot of property damage, something which _he_ should have prevented, but to his shame, he hadn't foreseen the difficulties he'd be facing against these two. Still, they were pirates. Shouldn't they be letting him worry about that?

It didn't add up.

Soon the coast came into sight as the two of them made their way full speed towards the water, Aokiji following behind. For the love of all things sane, what were they playing at? The minute they reached the sea, he'd be free to use Ice Age, _continuously_.

…

And freeze the seatrain's only route to Enies Lobby in the process.

Aokiji cursed aloud as he caught on to their plan. It was annoyingly brilliant. Rather than giving him free reign to use his ice powers to their fullest extent, they were forcing him to use them more carefully. Such was the status quo until the seatrain departed. They were counting on the fact that they could take down CP9, or better yet, disable the seatrain, before that.

As the two both aimed ranged attacks at the seatrain, Aokiji quickly cryo phased in front of them before flash freezing the surrounding air, causing a large ice wall to materialize from the moisture in the atmosphere, and blocking their attacks. He wasn't surprised when the wall came crumbling down moments later, but it but him enough time to form a far larger one behind him, one which grew into a dome that quickly encased the three combatants. The water froze over beneath them, just enough for them to stand, but the rest of the ocean remained untouched.

Once again coordinating without a word, the two aimed another collaboration strike against the top of the dome, hoping it would come crashing down. To their dismay, the dome held, and started to repair itself.

"I wouldn't bother with that," Aokiji drawled. "That ice is far too dense for you to go smashing it so easily. Like it or not, you'll have to get passed me first." He narrowed his eyes. "Did you really think I'd let you reach the seatrain that easily?"

Luffy smirked. "Did you really think I'd need to reach it?"

Aokiji inwardly cursed again at his lack of forethought as a wake of haki spread out from the Straw Hat Captain, passing by the ice wall and reaching the sea train undeterred. He attempted in vain to fight off a migraine as he felt the auras of all of the government officials and seatrain operators in the vicinity dim. The only ones left conscious were the CP9 agents approaching the seatrain along with Nico Robin, but this would still delay their departure, which meant he had to continue this tedious game for that much longer.

"You're resourceful, Straw Hat Luffy. I'll give you that much. But you seem to be relying on my desire to preserve the seatrain a bit too much. Even if you destroy it, there are other ways of getting Nico Robin to Enies Lobby."

"Maybe, but you'll have to wait until after the Aqua Laguna," Luffy said determinedly. "We'll just have to defeat you before then."

Aokiji blinked. There was silence for a few moments before he spoke. "I don't know where you're getting your information Straw Hat, but the Aqua Laguna isn't until next week."

Luffy's expression didn't change, save for the buckets of sweat that started dripping down his face. _Frickin time travel._

"You also seem to be awfully confident that you can beat me," Aokiji said emotionlessly, as ice crept over his body. "Perhaps a bit too much…"

"Get ready," Zoro grunted, as Luffy cracked his knuckles. "The real fight begins now."

"_**Ice Age.**_"

* * *

Sanji, Chopper, Nami, and Usopp were making their way towards the sea train when they all felt a chill run through them. It was as if the air had dropped 10 degrees in temperature. They were shocked to find that all of the waterways in the city had frozen over completely.

"What could do this?" Nami asked fearfully, from atop Chopper's back.

"It's him," Sanji said, sweat dripping down his face despite the cold. "The one Luffy and Zoro are fighting. This guy is seriously bad news. I just hope they have an ace or two up their sleeves."

"We'll worry about them later!" Usopp shouted, also riding atop Chopper's reindeer form. "Robin's completely defenseless right now!"

"I know that, you idiot!" Sanji yelled in frustration. "Chopper, pick up the pace!"

* * *

"_**Gear Fourth: Boundman!**_"

"_**Nine Sword Style: Asura!**_"

Aokiji watched in shock as the Straw Hat captain's entire body blew up like a balloon, and all of his first mate's limbs multiplied. This sight would almost be comical if it didn't mean they were _holding back the entire time_.

The admiral acted quickly, flash freezing the colossal wind cannon that came his way, but Luffy was on him in an instant, moving far faster than he had before. He effortlessly barrelled through the ice wall had created while his arm grew to the length of a giant's behind him.

"_**Gomu gomu no…King Kong Gun!**_"

The blow was too fast for him to phase through it, so he attempted to take it head on in his ice form. If it had been a simple punch as he'd been expecting, he may have succeeded, but as the giant, armaments hardened limb rushed towards him, he realized it was wound into itself like a spring.

The spring unwound as it made contact, cracking a few of his ribs even before he was blown straight through the wall of the ice dome behind him. The entire structure came crashing down as Luffy flew after him, his speed and agility in the air having increased drastically.

Aokiji quickly reformed his wings and took flight again. It was then that he realized that Zoro had disappeared while he'd been focused on Luffy…

Instinctively ducking under a sword slash, the wind blade continuing on for over a mile across the ocean, Aokiji was forced to weave and phase through 9 swords, quickly realizing that they were all quite real and dangerous, somehow.

"_**Pheasant Peck!**__" _

"_**One Mist Silver!" **_

The two attacks collided, and even as Zoro cut through the ice, he felt his swords slowly starting to freeze even though they were coated with haki. The battlefield was Aokiji's now, and it was showing. The cold crept into every pore in their bodies. If they dragged out this fight too much, they'd be in serious trouble.

"_**9 Sword Style Secret Technique…" **_

Aokiji seemed intent on freezing him alive before he could use what he considered the deadliest move in his arsenal. Spreading his arms out wide, he used another Ice Age right as Luffy and Zoro both charged. Every droplet of water in the atmosphere froze solid as they pressed on through the ocean sized blizzard.

"_**Gomu Gomu no...Phoenix Carbine!" **_

And then, all at once, the blizzard cleared a path for the firestorm that erupted from within it. Aokiji's eyes widened as it approached, and he hastily maneuvered out of the way. The attack still grazed his arm, but what alarmed him was that the attack continued on towards the sea train.

In his momentary distraction, he was slow to dodge as Zoro completed his technique.

"_**9000 Realms!" **_

Pain dominated his senses as 9 wounds opened across his torso.

* * *

Lucci was getting extremely impatient. He was quite convinced now that these government personnel were completely useless. They were all unconscious from the wave of power that had spread over the area previously. He'd never heard of something like this. Even Kalifa and Blueno were affected, though they stayed on their feet without too much trouble.

But since they couldn't be roused, this meant CP9 had to operate the seatrain themselves. Kaku, Blueno, and Kalifa were inside the sea train, trying to do just that, while Lucci guarded Nico Robin outside. After the previous complications they'd had, he didn't exactly trust anyone else to guard their mission objective.

His ears soon caught the sound of running, and turned with a sigh towards the newly recovered Straw Hat Pirates. Didn't these people every stay down? Could anyone honestly blame him if he killed them at this point?

The pirates stopped in front of him and got ready to fight as he stepped in front of Nico Robin, who was seemingly close to having an emotional breakdown at the sight of all the ice. Did this woman have post-traumatic stress? The shit he had to put up with…

Well, it could be worse. Spandam could be here.

He was broken out of his musings as his senses screamed danger, and he turned toward the seatrain just in time to see it erupt in an enormous explosion, getting blown off the track in the process. As the ground shook from the impact, and he remembered that Kaku, Blueno, and Kalifa had been in the seatrain, only one thought seemed to cross his mind.

He would still take this over Spandam.

* * *

Aokiji gritted his teeth as he felt the auras of three CP9 agents dim. The only one left conscious was Lucci. Come to think of it, he wasn't doing too well himself…

"You're making a mistake here, Monkey D. Luffy," he said. "Even if you escape here, that woman will bring your crew to ruin. There will come a day when the weight of the world becomes too much for your little ship to carry, and on that day, she'll be the first to betray you."

Luffy gritted his teeth in anger. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said, keeping an eye on Zoro, who was catching his breath after using his ultimate technique.

"Don't I?" the admiral asked. "You may not know it, but it was I who let that woman go all those years ago. At the time, I was hoping she would be able to live a normal life. But I was wrong. Her fate was sealed the minute she learned that ancient language. I should have known there was only one road for her."

"You're so full of shit!" Luffy snarled. "Do you really believe that? Do you honestly think she had any choice after what you all did to her!?"

"At the time, I did," Aokiji admitted. "That was my mistake, and one I intend to rectify now."

"My ass you will! Robin isn't some mistake you can fix!" Luffy shouted, before activating Gears Second and Third along with Fourth and getting ready to use his own strongest move. "_**Gomu gomu no…" **_

Aokiji spread his arms out, condensing all of the water in the area into a wave of subzero ice.

"_**Primeval Chill," **_he whispered as the ice blasted out towards Luffy. The ocean froze beneath it, the ice stretching out for miles from being in mere contact.

"_**Millenium Dragon Firestorm!" **_

The onslaught raged against Aokiji's already injured body as Luffy's arms were nearly frozen solid. As they began to fail him, he was repelled by another wave of ice as the admiral regained his bearings. _Not enough yet! _

Aokiji emerged from the inferno, fury etched across his face as more ice lashed out against the rubber man. "What would you know about my mistakes!?" he shouted, losing his cool for the first time since the fight began. "I let that little girl go so she could be happy one day, not so she could suffer a fate worse than death! Not so she could live a cursed existence where she has to betray everyone around her, not even to live, but just to survive! What would you know about it to begin with!?"

Luffy, who had been momentarily forced out of Gear Fourth, exhaled slowly as Zoro came back in and repelled the waves of ice that were assaulting him. "I know enough. That's why _I_ invited _her_ into the crew," he said quietly, and watched as Aokiji's' expression morphed from fury into one of complete shock.

"Zoro, let's end this!" he shouted.

"Right!" the swordsmen said, activating Asura again as Luffy did the same with Gear Fourth.

"_**Gomu gomu no…**_"

"_**9 Sword Style…"**_

"_**9000 Caliber Phoenix Warhead**__**!" **_

Water 7 shook.

As the smoke and flames cleared, Aokiji could be seen kneeling on a patch of ice, breathing heavily, covered in severe burns from head to toe. He slowly stood up onto two feet, slowly limping across what was left of the ice.

Luffy was also kneeling, covered in ice and frost burns, Gear Fourth having run its course. _That's it...my haki's shot for at least half an hour…_

Zoro wasn't faring much better, but he was still standing readily enough that it was obvious which side would be victorious if the fight continued.

"Can you really do it?" Aokiji asked. "Are you confident that you can melt the ice around that woman's heart? Can you really give her what no one else could?" he asked, his ragged voice laced with desperation. Luffy looked into his eyes unflinchingly.

"I can."

Whatever was left of Aokiji's resistance seemed to melt at those two words. He stood noticeably straighter as he turned around and started limping away, out onto the open sea.

* * *

A/N: Hey all. Don't worry, I'm not dead. I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to write, but I had to take an extended break from fanfiction, first of all because I'm taking summer courses, and second because I'm beginning to write my own work of original fiction. But don't worry, this story will continue. I still have a lot planned out. I hope the chapter was worth the wait. Remember to review, as always.


	54. Wounds Healed and Truths Revealed

A general announcement: The Patient One, who some of you know as my beta reader, has agreed to become a co-author to this story. What this means is that he'll be helping me write some chapters when I don't have time to write out all the scenes myself. From now on, I'll credit any chapters that he helps me with in an author's note at the end. Enjoy chapter 54!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

* * *

Chapter LIV: Wounds Healed and Truths Revealed

Lucci growled in aggravation as he dodged another lightning strike and series of explosive projectiles, only for Black Leg Sanji to assault him with that annoying technique. Although he normally wouldn't have any trouble with these fighters in his godforsaken Zoan form, he had to grudgingly admit that their coordination was phenomenal. The only one that was attacking him straight out was Black Leg Sanji. The reindeer was attacking only when an opportunity presented itself, and Franky, who had been freed, had grudgingly adopted the same tactic after nearly being defeated by a single hit while he'd still been focused on the chef. The other two were both shrouded from his view by what he had deduced was one of the orange-haired thief's techniques. Had he had any breathing room, he'd have been able to pin them down with his other senses without too much trouble.

Suffice to say, he had no such breathing room at the moment. He was being triple-teamed up close and liberally assaulted from afar by two opponents he couldn't find. Using Life Return would be counterproductive. His speed form sacrificed both strength and endurance, and their attacks were too unpredictable and could, in some cases, bypass his Tekkai. To make matters worse, the reindeer had taken advantage of his underestimation of the pirates' abilities in order to recover Nico Robin, who he was currently guarding protectively.

That wasn't even taking into account that his fellow assassins were currently drowning, and he was a Devil Fruit user.

His only option seemed to be to outlast the chef and then take him out of the fight. Without their superior combatant keeping him occupied, the rest would soon follow. A plan quickly formed in his mind, and he quickly aimed a Shigan to the chef's throat as to gain some time. As expected, the chef leapt away. Before he could re-engage, Lucci aimed a deadly Rankyaku at the reindeer, who couldn't dodge since he was covering Nico Robin. Predictably, the chef intercepted the attack, as he had been doing for the past minute.

Before he was even finished deflecting it, Lucci was upon him, arms extending outward to unleash his most devastating attack.

"_**Six King Gun!**_"

That, unexpectedly, was when the fight fell out of his favor. He was shocked as all the force behind his strike seemingly vanished, along with the shockwaves that it unleashed. He felt, rather than saw, a large crack form through the small circular object that he had unknowingly run into. As his momentum carried him forward, he also felt said object being pressed to his torso, and heard a foreboding whisper of "_**Impact.**_"

His entire body tremored as his own move was turned against him, his Tekkai barely holding it together as blood erupted from his mouth and he was forced backwards, feet grinding against the ground in an attempt to keep their traction.

"_**Kokutei, Roseo Metel!**_"

"_**Strong Hammer!**_"

Before he could regain his bearings, the reindeer unleashed a barrage of strikes upon his already battered body, while Franky landed one powerful blow to the back of his head. Ignoring the pain, he lashed out with a kick to the reindeer-human hybrid, before turning around and backhanding the cyborg away. But he was injured, and the strikes were weak in comparison to what he would normally inflict. Chopper used his Guard Point instantly, and although the attack was staggering, he wasn't rendered unconscious. Franky, meanwhile, was durable enough to withstand the hasty strike, even though he was sent skidding across the ground.

Lucci was then forced to once again parry a barrage of kicks from the chef, who had now regained his bearings. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed another projectile hurtling towards him.

It was a water balloon.

While he would have normally dodged it just to be sure, he wasn't in a rational mindset at the moment, and so he instead ignored the apparently harmless projectile as it collided with him, soaking him from head to toe.

That was a mistake. The next attack hit him like a spear of lightning piercing through him, because that was exactly what it was. The _**Lightning Lance Tempo**_, augmented by the water covering him, easily bypassed his Tekkai. As he convulsed, the chef took the opportunity to land a _**Flambage Shot **_to his cranium, and he was sent hurtling backwards over the ocean. He righted himself in time to use Geppo, only to see that the chef had jumped above him, in perfect position to kick him into the water.

Sanji was forced to abandon that pursuit, however, as his Observation Haki alerted him to an incoming attack. He hastily twisted himself to the right in order to dodge a Shigan from the charred form of the now conscious Kaku. His momentum diverted, he fell and landed in the ocean himself, buying the two agents some time to converse.

"Lucci, time for a tactical retreat," Kaku reasoned.

"Fuck off," Lucci growled.

"Not to question your judgment, boss, but we can't win this fight while I'm carrying around dead weight," Kaku said, referring to the two unconscious agents he was carrying with one arm.

"I wasn't disagreeing with you," Lucci replied.

"Then that was some thank you," Kaku replied with an impudent smirk. Ignoring the belligerent but somewhat justified comment, Lucci roughly grabbed Blueno from his second in command, and the two agents retreated from the island through the sky.

"…We lost today. But I swear, one day we will bring that infernal crew to ruin," Lucci snarled.

"No complaints here," Kaku agreed. No more words were said as the two departed to give their first report of failure in years to their chief in Enies Lobby.

* * *

Sanji took his time emerging from the water, sensing that Lucci and Kaku had retreated. Making his way back onto land, he grunted in pain. As the adrenaline slowly left him, the extent of his injuries became all too obvious. He may have given more hits than he'd taken thanks to his Observation Haki, but Lucci had sure as hell made the hits he'd landed count.

Quickly surveying the area, he saw that Nami and Usopp were now visible, meaning that Mirage Tempo had expired. He let out a heavy sigh and collapsed onto the ground, the rest of the crew soon following suit along with Franky.

"Those agents couldn't have picked a better time to retreat," Franky commented. "Physical attacks weren't very effective against that guy, and if you guys were forced to fight head-on, we wouldn't be as lucky," he said, gesturing to Nami and Usopp.

Sanji simply nodded. Although he technically hadn't even met the cyborg yet, he hadn't been picky about allies while fighting CP9, and Franky's help had been appreciated. He was confident that the assassins couldn't have won, but that didn't mean they couldn't have taken down the weaker members of the crew before being taken out themselves.

"Somehow, we made it through this shitfest relatively unscathed," Sanji said finally. "That's what matters."

"CP9 retreated? That's…that's good," Luffy's voice came from nearby. The rest of the crew turned, and recoiled at the sight of their Captain's condition.

Luffy and Zoro were walking side-by-side, arms locked at their shoulders, literally holding each other up as they trudged towards them. It was glaringly obvious that they were even more exhausted than the rest of the crew, and would have barely had enough energy to help in in the fight against Lucci and Kaku had they not retreated.

"What the hell happened to you two?!" Usopp and Chopper demanded in unison, the latter charging forward and opening his medical bag.

"You…You won?" Robin breathed in awe, drawing everyone else's attention.

"Won? Won against who?" Nami asked. They never _had_ found out for sure who the two were fighting.

"Admiral Aokiji," Luffy and Zoro said in unison. All but Chopper stiffened at that, and Luffy raised his head to look at Robin.

"And we didn't finish the battle. He surrendered and left after I clarified a few things about why he was here."

"But if we had to, we would have won," Zoro affirmed, then straightened as Robin's handcuffs caught his eye. "Ah, damn it. They took the key with them, didn't they?"

Robin's thoughts turned from the impossible sight before her as she realized what he was saying, and sighed. "Yes, but I'm sure we'll figure something out. Perhaps with time, we can forge a key."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I can cut them off," Zoro said, drawing his white sword. "Just turn around and hold still."

"…Are you certain? It's as hard as diamond," Robin asked uncertainly.

"So were the ones in Rain Dinners," Zoro replied dryly.

Robin's eyes widened at that, and she slowly complied with his request.

"The rest of you keep quiet; I need to focus, and I don't think I have enough energy left to do this more than once," Zoro grunted, kneeling and taking a two-handed grip on Wado Ichimonji, one on the hilt and one on the sheath. His eyes sharpened as he tightened his focus:

"_**One sword style… Lion's Elegy!"**_

With a single and immediate motion, the swordsman unsheathed and re-sheathed his blade. The moment that it clicked into its hilt, both he and the handcuffs, cut clean through the middle, fell to the ground.

Robin felt as her power returned to her, and brought her hands to her face in shock; despite the confidence, it still surprised her that Zoro had managed that. Though, as she turned around, it soon became apparent that he was completely correct about how much—or rather, how _little_ energy he had left, as he collapsed onto the ground, sprawled on his back and grumbling incoherently about needing some sake.

That, of course, brought the fact that they had fought _Aokiji _and won back to the forefront of her mind.

"But…But why did you go so far?" she asked incredulously. "You could have _died _against—"

"No, we couldn't have," Luffy cut her off firmly. "Aokiji was strong, sure. But the only reason that fight went on as long as it did was that we were luring him out of Water 7, and that took up most of our energy. If we had gone all-out from the start—"

"You were _holding back _against him until you got to the coast?!" Sanji demanded incredulously. "Seriously, what the hell kind of _monsters_ are you?"

"The kind whose crew you don't fuck with," Zoro replied firmly, forcing himself into a sitting position to lock eyes with Robin. "And I hope that this is the last time we have to prove it."

Robin processed that statement and all that it implied. He knew that she had surrendered, the handcuffs had likely given that away. And there was a high chance that he knew about Luffy's talk with her earlier as well. They had done that much for her…and she had doubted them.

And looking back, she saw the rest of the crew, weary but hardly the worse for wear, even Franky, who was standing awkwardly to the side and attempting not to cry at the display.

Slowly, she bowed her head in equal parts shame and gratitude. "…Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, all of you, for fighting for me."

* * *

It wasn't long before Iceburg arrived at the coast, his injuries having been hastily treated. He was followed by the remainder of the Dock 1 workers: Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone. He soon came to the correct conclusion that they had been victorious. He only had one question.

"Franky, the blueprints?" he asked. The cyborg nodded. "Yeah, I've still got 'em. They never even found them. Still…I honestly don't think we need them anymore."

Iceburg snuck a glance at the Straw Hat pirates. "I'm inclined to agree with you," he admitted, before his gaze swept over to the downed sea train. "Well, you guys sure did a number on our city though," he said dryly.

Luffy looked at the ruined sea train as if seeing it for the first time. His eyes widened. "Hey! You guys destroyed the sea train!" he scolded, turning back to the rest of the crew. "Be more careful next time, will you?"

"IT WAS YOU!" the crew including Zoro shouted indignantly, Franky joining in.

Luffy jaw dropped. "HUH!? You mean it's my fault!?" He suddenly turned toward Franky and Iceburg with a determined look on his face, before bowing low. "Sorry!"

The two looked amused. "Well, don't worry about it," Iceburg said. "You helped protect the blueprints, so we'll say it balances out." He then looked back at the wrecked vehicle. "Besides, Tom-san always wanted us to surpass his prowess." He exchanged a look with Franky, and the cyborg smirked. "We'll build a new one," Iceburg decided. "One that surpasses even the Puffing Tom."

* * *

Two days passed, in which Franky and Iceburg modified a second seatrain, the Rocketman, to be able to operate on the tracks without constantly moving. After that, it was used as a temporary seatrain so that Blue Station could open again.

It also wasn't long before Franky informed the Straw Hats that their ship materials had arrived. With 600 million Belly, Luffy guessed that their ship would be at least twice as big as before, with the rest of the money going towards various upgrades. That was usually how Franky did things. In short, the Thousand Sunny was shaping up to be even more badass than before.

But the arrival of the materials meant one thing that they were dreading: it was time to let go of the Going Merry. The crew agreed that they shouldn't delay the inevitable any longer, but they weren't sure how to go about it. Finally, Franky made a suggestion. While the keel was irreversibly damaged, most of the rest of the ship was still intact. He asked their permission to use some of the wood from the Going Merry to build a smaller version that could fit on their dream ship. The Straw Hats liked the idea, especially Usopp, and the Franky Family went about dismantling the Merry with an unusually sensitive and somber care. As the Straw Hats said their goodbyes, they could have sworn they heard the voice of a young girl answer them.

* * *

Another day went by before Paulie reported that there was a Marine ship heading towards the coast of Water 7. Although Iceburg seemed disconcerted upon hearing this, Luffy told him not to worry about it before leading the rest of the crew towards the coast to meet them.

When Vice Admiral Garp stepped off of the ship, everyone tensed. Even Zoro's hand was itching to reach for his sword as they were faced with the legendary Marine. Luffy smirked.

"It's been a while, Gramps," he said, shocking the entire crew, save Zoro and Robin, the latter of whom had put two and two together after their discussion about Luffy's parentage.

"Luffy?" Nami asked sweetly. "Remember that talk we had in Alabasta, when we met Ace?"

Luffy thought back, before his eyes lit up in remembrance. "Oh, yeah! The one about how blowing your minds is so much fun and how I do it on purpose! And then she went back on her bet with Usopp. True story."

Nami's eye twitched.

"STOP IGNORING ME, LUFFY!" Garp shouted in false rage as he lunged forward and threw a punch at his grandson in greeting. Half-recovered from his fight with Aokiji, he dodged the half-assed punch easily enough. That only made Garp grin, as if he'd been expecting it.

"That was slow, Gramps. Maybe you're getting old. You should have taken that admiral position while you still had the chance," Luffy said with an impudent smirk.

Garp, rather than rising to the bait, burst out laughing. "That's my grandson! Doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut! Always _I'm gonna be a pirate, _or _Shanks is cooler than you, _or _You're getting old, Gramps!" _He rubbed his beard in thought. "Though admittedly, that last one is quite new. Which leads me to the reason I came here." His grin widened. "So…what are you hiding, Luffy?"

Luffy barely flinched, though the entire crew noticed it. Garp, for his part, kept grinning as he looked Luffy in the eyes.

"I may have acted like it in front of Sengoku, Luffy, but I'm no idiot," he said. "All three forms of Haki. Half of the Six Powers. And enough mastery of your Devil Fruit that you're capable of beating an Admiral. I'd bet that you could even give _me _a run for my money. And the only person who could have taught you all of that while you were still in the East Blue is me, and I know that I didn't. So, tell me how you did it."

Pure silence fell for the next minute, during which Luffy considered the consequences. Telling his grandfather the truth could be dangerous; how would he react, and would he keep it to himself? On the other hand, if he reacted the way Luffy was hoping he would, telling him could be a major advantage.

There was also the fact that he'd likely be at the receiving end a few city leveling punches if he didn't answer, and he was still fucking tired. He shared a brief glance with Zoro, one that he was fully aware no one missed this time, in which the frowning wordsman simply shrugged.

With a sigh, Luffy turned around. "Not here, Gramps." Saying no more than that, he began walking off, far away from any potential eavesdroppers.

Garp's eyebrows rose. "Not even willing to say it in front of your crew?" he muttered as he followed after him. He was vaguely aware of the fact that the rest of the crew was talking to the first mate as he walked off.

* * *

When Luffy and Garp got back, the latter's grin was completely gone. It its place was a tired and subdued look that didn't seem to fit his face. The crew's curiosity spiked even higher upon seeing this. "I'm going to sleep," Garp promptly told the Marines guarding the ship, who stuttered out a confused "Yes, sir."

As he made his way back to his quarters, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

_Ace died. _

The words repeated themselves in his head, ricocheting back and forth through his mindscape, like a phantom venom.

_I stood and watched as Ace died._

His fingers drew blood from his palms, which dripped onto the floor as he walked. He was angry, and he was confused. But most of all, he was disgusted by his own indecisiveness. He made a silent vow. He'd never repeat what he'd heard here. He'd take the information to his grave.

He'd protect his family.

* * *

Luffy knew he wasn't getting off without answering any questions this time. The crew was staring him down determinedly, having gotten nothing from Zoro while he'd been gone. The swordsman merely shrugged at him apologetically, recognizing that they couldn't continue to keep brushing off their concerns. Luffy inhaled and braced himself for what had been building for a while now.

"Luffy, Zoro, you've been hiding something from us since the day I joined you," Nami began without preamble. "I know I'm not one to talk, but…at this point, I don't know how comfortable I am with you keeping it from us."

"Nor am I," Robin added, drawing everyone's attention. "I won't say that I don't have faith in you anymore, I can't say that now. But from the moment we met in Whiskey Peak, you've both been puzzles that I can't figure out. How long do you intend to wait to tell us?"

Luffy and Zoro exchanged glances, and messages flitted between them.

_Should we? _Luffy conveyed.

Zoro closed his eyes. _Franky's already on good terms with us, and Robin and the rest of them trust us. You wanted to wait until everyone felt secure with their place in the crew, right?_

_Yeah, _Luffy thought with frown.

_There shouldn't be any problem now, _Zoro conveyed firmly. _Franky isn't the type to care about something like that, and Brook…well, he's Brook. There's no reason to keep it from them anymore._

Luffy waited for a moment before sighing, and turning back towards his friends.

"We were planning to tell you after we left the next island that we land on. But you're right that we've been hiding something from you, and you have a right to know. So, if you want us to tell you everything now, we will," Luffy said.

The rest of the crew shared a speculative glance, before unanimously turning back towards Luffy and Zoro and nodding expectantly. Franky, who had been silent up until now, looked back and forth between everyone before speaking up. "Uh, should I give you guys some privacy?" he asked finally.

"No, Franky. This concerns you too," Zoro said solemnly. The cyborg blinked upon hearing that, but shrugged and decided to hear them out.

"Alright. Where to begin?" Luffy said. "The first thing I'll say, which the rest of you may have guessed, is that Zoro and I aren't really rookies."

"I told you before that I had known Luffy for about two and a half years," Zoro continued. "When we first met, he saved me from being executed at the hands of some corrupt Marines, and I became his first mate from then on. We sailed through the East Blue, and then the Grand Line, building our crew and gathering more allies all the way through."

Although some of the Straw Hats looked completely lost, Sanji and Robin's minds were working in overdrive, and Nami was completely pale, having recognized the beginning of the story.

"We made it further into the New World than anyone had since Roger himself," Zoro continued. "But when we reached the last island before Raftel…"

The end of the sentence hung in the air, but the sheer despondency on their faces said it all. Robin was the first to identify it.

"You lost your crew," she stated.

"…One after the other, right in front of our eyes. There wasn't anything we could do," Luffy whispered, his fingers digging into his palms.

"In the end, they managed to buy us enough time to get away. We didn't want to…but the last one still alive said that it would be pointless if all of us died there. So, with nothing left but shattered dreams, we made it to Raftel Island. And what we found there was nothing short of a miracle."

Luffy looked up at all of them. "Gol D. Roger's ghost was there. Zoro couldn't see him or hear him, but he talked to me, saying that I was the successor he had been waiting for. But he saw that we had lost too much. Becoming the Pirate King…it wasn't what I wanted anymore. It was worthless next to the lives of my friends. And because of that…Roger gave us the chance to get them back. He sent both of us back to the beginning."

"In short," Zoro finished quietly, "The Straw Hat crew was reborn."

"That's why you know so much," Robin said in an awed whisper. "You've lived all of this before, sailed with all of us before."

Luffy and Zoro could only nod.

The rest of the crew's reactions were varied. Chopper, for once, fully comprehended the situation, and all he could do was with wide eyes. Usopp was getting emotional at the revelation that the two had come back for them. Sanji was gritting his teeth, knowing that the one who'd sent them on to Raftel…was most likely him.

Nami's reaction was arguably the most worrying. Tears streamed down her face unchecked as she kept her eyes locked on the two time travelers. "Why?" she whispered, so quiet that they almost didn't hear her.

Luffy's heart clenched. "Why what?" he asked, despite knowing the answer.

"You know damn well what! Why didn't you tell us earlier!?" Nami shouted. "Why did you carry this burden alone for so long! You said we're a family, right? That means we're supposed to support each other! All this time, the very sight of us has been causing you both nightmares! Don't deny it, I've noticed you two sneaking out in the middle of the night! Why couldn't you at least share that burden with us? _Why is it always you protecting us!?_" She took several heavy breaths as her outburst ended, her sobs sending tremors through her.

"What would have happened if we'd told you?" Zoro asked. "How do you think you would have reacted if we'd told you when we first met?"

Nami visibly recoiled, her mind instantly coming to an answer.

"It took time to gain everyone's trust," Luffy said quietly. "We didn't want to complicate things. What would you have had us do? Tell you that you'd joined once already? Would that have convinced you, or would you have felt like you were being forced into something? Something that would ultimately have been a life altering decision? We wanted you all to make that choice yourself."

"You could have told us after we'd joined," Nami refuted, but the argument was weak, and she knew it.

"And then what?" Zoro asked. "What about when we ran into more crew members? The two of us alone weren't able to cover this up completely. Would you have been able to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary, knowing what was to come?" He turned to Robin next. "If you joined the crew, and were just starting to trust us, how would you react if you realized that every single one of us was hiding something from you, and not just the two of us?"

Robin closed her eyes. Rather than answering, she just shook her head slowly, telling them all they needed to know.

Luffy sighed. "We didn't want to hide anything from you," he said tiredly. "It hurt, every day, doing that. But that world…what we'd experienced…that was _our_ burden to carry. We're the ones who failed, and we won't let that happen a second time."

The rest of the crew was silent, both stunned and subdued at having finally heard their explanation. The next to speak was Franky.

"I was one of your crew members," he said. It wasn't a question, more of an observation. "That's the only reason you'd be telling me this."

"You were our shipwright," Luffy confirmed with a smile. "Like I said, I don't want you to feel forced into it just because you were one of us in our time. But it wouldn't be fair to you we told everyone else and left you out."

Franky considered this for a moment. "Why did I join you the first time?" he asked.

"We stole your pants and shot you out of a cannon," Luffy answered.

"…Come again?" Franky deadpanned.

Zoro gave Luffy an annoyed look, and Luffy shrugged. "Also, we may have made an impression on you when we stormed Enies Lobby to take Robin back from CP9," he said nonchalantly.

"...I won't act as if I'm surprised at this point," was all Robin could say to that.

"Your dream is to build a ship that can reach the end of the Grand Line, and sail on that ship all the way through. The fact of the matter is, we're the crew that can help you fulfill that dream. Since you had a bounty on your head then, and you probably will again now, flipping off the World Government was a bonus. Besides, you loved us when it was all over."

"You're exaggerating," Franky said with narrowed eyes.

"Nope," Luffy smirked. "You said, and I quote, _I love you guys_. You were even crying."

"And denying it, of course," Zoro added with a smirk of his own.

Franky opened his mouth to deny it, only to shut it swiftly. Finally, he turned away. "Eh. I'll think about it," he said, though he was grinning now.

"I'm still upset," Nami said, wiping a few tears away, "But I understand why you handled it the way you did."

Luffy sighed in relief. He hadn't realized how heavily their secret had been weighing down on his shoulders. He could tell that Zoro felt the same way.

It was good to truly be back.

* * *

A/N: Many thanks to The Patient One for helping me upload this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it.


	55. Escalation

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter LV: Escalation

It was a few hours after the Straw Hats came to grips with their captain and first mate's secret that another visitation of the Marine variety came to their temporary lodgings.

Two young men stood at the door when Luffy answered it. One wore a standard Marine uniform from the neck down, but the absence of a hat along with his pink hair, yellow bandana worn as a headband, and the blue-framed glasses on top of the headband instantly made it clear that he wasn't an ordinary grunt. Alongside him was another man with long blonde hair, a black visor, a green vest over a white Marine shirt, and purple pants.

Most of the crew looked at them quizzically, but Luffy smiled. "It's been a long time, Coby."

The pink-haired Marine started. "You recognize me, Luffy-san?" he asked in surprise.

"Well, how many other pink-haired Marines are there?" Luffy grinned.

Coby chuckled. "Fair point."

"Coby… wait, the kid who was traveling with you when you beat the Alvida Pirates?" Nami asked incredulously. "I remember he wanted to be a Marine, but what's he doing here?"

The other man let out a sigh. "I suppose it's true we've changed quite a bit," he said with a helpless shrug. Don't let my new look fool you, Roronoa. I'm still the same even if I've gotten a lot stronger—"

"Who are you again?" Zoro interrupted.

"Hey! That's cold, Roronoa," the man said, pushing up his visor with a smirk. "Helmeppo. Morgan's son. I was the one who condemned you to death row, and then you broke free and beat me within an inch of my life."

"Oh right, you're that idiot," Zoro grimaced.

"B-But things have changed since then!" Coby spoke up hastily.

"Indeed," Helmeppo said smugly. "I've made quite the turnaround, if I do say so myself."

Zoro hummed. "Well, I guess you're really not as stupid as you look," he commented, causing Helmeppo to beam with pride even as Luffy burst out laughing for some unknown reason.

"At first, I was upset being press-ganged into the Marines as a chore boy, but when Garp showed up to take Daddy away for court-martialing, and he used me as a hostage to get away, suffice to say that I had things put in perspective for me. Especially since Coby risked his life to try saving me. To make a long story short, Garp was impressed and took the two of us on as apprentices."

Luffy winced. "Sorry about that."

The crew sans Zoro was incredulous, but both of the Marines chuckled ruefully.

"Yeah, I've got a good idea about just how you became such a monster now, Luffy," Coby said, rubbing the back of his head. "But still, I've already become a Master Chief Petty Officer. I'm just one promotion away from becoming a Marine officer! And Helmeppo's only one rank below me."

"He's just that much more enthusiastic despite everything Vice Admiral Garp throws at us. Even if he's throwing cannonballs," Helmeppo grimaced.

Luffy grinned. "Sounds like you've been training hard then."

Coby nodded. "While we're on the subject, I wanted to ask you a favor, Luffy-san."

Luffy hummed. "Let me guess. You want to spar?"

Smiling, Coby nodded again. "If it's not too much trouble."

The Straw Hat captain smirked. "Alright. Let's see how far you've come."

As the crew gathered outside along with the two Marines, Luffy and Coby stood across from one another. Coby wasted no time and approached with a Soru, which Luffy easily sidestepped before he grabbed Coby by the arm and threw him. Coby planted his feet into the ground and skidded through the dirt before vanishing in another Soru. This time, his punch was blocked by Luffy's forearm. He swiftly twisted around and attempted to elbow the rubber man, but Luffy ducked under his arm and delivered a swift jab to his stomach that left him reeling.

Luffy then grabbed his by the collar and pushed him roughly to the ground, one fist cocked back and ready to deliver a finishing blow.

Coby was panting heavily. "Not…even close," he acknowledged with a sad smile as he stared up from his position on the ground. Luffy straightened and offered him a hand up, which he took gratefully.

"I may have lost this time," Coby said, dusting himself off before looking back up at Luffy. "But I won't let this stop me. I'll keep training under Vice Admiral Garp…and one day…" he trailed off, trying to find the courage to state his dream. "One day…I'll…I'LL BECOME A MARINE ADMIRAL!" Coby declared.

Luffy's expression turned serious as he searched Coby's expression with scrutiny, and though the Marine flinched somewhat at the rubber man's gaze, he stood strong. Finally, Luffy nodded.

"You've learned to be firm with what you say. Is that your dream, then?"

Coby nodded without hesitation. "I'm going to become the best Marine I can."

Luffy smiled. "You really have come a long way from that timid cabin boy I met on that cruise ship," Luffy said. He stared for a moment longer, and turned away. "Wait here. I'll give you something that will help."

Luffy vanished in a perfect Soru, to Coby's bemusement. "Well, at least I can say there's one thing Luffy can do that I can too," he muttered.

"Which only leaves a few dozen more to go," Helmeppo joked.

Luffy reappeared before the Chief Petty Officer could say another word, and held out his hand. All who were watching gasped as they saw what it held: a white tangerine, imbued with countless swirl patterns and an otherworldly sheen.

"L-Luffy-san…is that…a Devil Fruit?" Coby whispered with wide eyes.

"Not just any Devil Fruit, Coby," Luffy replied solemnly. "This is the Goro Goro no Mi, the lightning Logia. It's one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in existence. Nobody else on my crew wants it, and I couldn't think of anyone else who I could trust this kind of power to, so I wasn't sure what I'd do with it…until now." He held out the fruit for Coby to take. "I know that I can trust you with it."

Coby stared in awe for only a moment. Then, without a second of hesitation, he took the fruit and took a bite of it. He stood strong for three seconds…and then the rest of the fruit fell from his hand, and he began gagging. _"Damn it, _Luffy, that tasted RANCID!" he choked.

"Heh. Sorry, I should have warned you about that," Luffy said sheepishly. Then his expression turned serious. "But don't just rely on that. The Goro Goro no Mi will make reaching your goal easier, but ask any of the admirals, and they'll tell you that any Logia who relies too much on invulnerability is setting themselves up for failure." He grinned. "And besides, it won't do you any good against me since I'm made of rubber…that is, until you learn some more tricks."

Coby blinked in comprehension, and for a second looked almost betrayed. Then his eyes hardened as he understood; it was just that much more motivation to train himself on all fronts, not only his new powers. He smiled, and nodded. "We'll meet again in the New World, Luffy-san. And it won't be so easy next time."

Luffy grinned widely.

"Uh, Coby? I think we should start heading back now. Vice Admiral Garp won't be happy if we keep him waiting, he's already grumpy for some reason."

Luffy winced, as did the rest of the crew, but a smile came onto the rubber man's face a moment later, and he swung an arm around Coby's shoulders. "How about I head back with you? I can tell you some stuff about how I saw your powers used."

Coby smiled back. From there, Luffy began walking towards the shore, telling Coby what he could remember of Enel's abilities and Nami adding a few suggestions of her own on what he could do with electricity. Helmeppo took notes as they went, while everyone else simply enjoyed seeing Luffy mix his story about how Zoro beat Eneru in with the advice. Coby took careful note of the fact that high level swordsmen would also have an effective protection against his powers.

But Luffy was no sooner finished than they arrived at the docks. Luffy and Coby reaffirmed their promise to meet and fight again beneath Garp's watchful eye, and Helmeppo made a somewhat similar vow to Zoro.

"I may not have any illusions about beating you…but with any luck, the next time we meet, I should be able to make enough of an impression that you won't forget me again," he said, fingering his kukri knives.

"Hmph, we'll see what happens," Zoro shrugged…though he was smiling.

With that, the two lower-ranked Marines boarded the battleship. As the vessel moved away from the shore, the Vice Admiral grandfather and the Pirate King grandson exchanged looks for several seconds. The crew realized that they were having a silent conversation just as they both nodded in perfect understanding. Then the 'Hero' of the Marines turned around and headed back into the ship as it sailed away from Water 7.

* * *

On their way back to their hotel room, Luffy's stomach started growling. "Man, I'm hungry. Is there any more food?"

"You ate most of our provisions after your fight with Aokiji," Sanji informed him. "We'll have to restock. Luckily, we're not broke for once."

On the way back, however, a large crowd led by the three remaining Galley-La Foremen greeted them.

"There they are! It's the saviors!" a man shouted, as the crowed gathered around the Straw Hats and started cheering.

"...Yeah! Whoohoo! Go us…!" Usopp shouted, pumping his fist. "...Wait, what'd we do again?"

"You were the ones who saved Iceburg from the assassins, weren't you?" a woman shouted with tears in her eyes. "We heard it all from Dock 1!"

Luffy turned to the three Galley-La workers with a raised eyebrow. Lulu and Tilestone just shrugged, while Paulie walked up to Luffy and started whispering in his ear. "We covered up what happened with Lucci and the others. It would just get complicated if the public knew everything that happened. Mind just playing along, Straw Hat?"

Understanding dawned on Luffy's face. It _would_ get messy if the public knew about the ancient weapons and the government's motivations. He nodded silently at Paulie, who turned back to the crowd. "Well then, another round of applause for our heroes!" he shouted, causing the crowd to cheer even louder.

"NO!" the shout was actually loud enough to drown out crowd's cheering, and they looked at Luffy and Zoro, who had both raised their voices, in confusion. The two both pointed accusingly at Paulie.

"Hey, don't go calling us heroes!" Zoro huffed.

"We're anything but!" Luffy agreed. "Heroes have to share their meat!"

"And their sake!"

"We want it all for ourselves!"

"So enough with the hero bullshit!"

Paulie scratched his head as the crowd started laughing hysterically. "Man, you guys are strange. Fine then. Everyone, let's get these idiots some food and booze!" He was rewarded by a collective shout of agreement.

Luffy smirked. "Now that's more like it! Let's get this party started!"

* * *

It was late in the evening, and the party celebrating the heroics of the Straw Hat Pirates and Mayor Iceburg's good health raged on. The party was funded by Galley-La in a not so rare display of carelessness on Iceburg's part. No one was complaining.

In a scene that was becoming rather familiar to some, Usopp stood atop a large stack of tables, shouting out of a megaphone about how he single-handedly defeated the assassins after Iceburg's life. Although the Water 7 citizens seemed to eat it up, Zoro, feeling an annoying sense of déjà vu, promptly kicked the stack of tables, causing the sniper to unceremoniously tumble to the ground. This only made the drunken crowd cheer louder.

Luffy, who had locked onto a specific aura among the hundreds that littered the streets, made his way through the crowd. He finally found Robin smiling wistfully the crew's enthusiasm as she sipped her drink.

"Party too long for ya?" he asked.

She shrugged, the smile never leaving her face. "Or perhaps I'm just not drunk enough."

Luffy's eyes widened. "You get drunk?" he asked in disbelief, causing her to chuckle.

"I don't think I can thank you enough, Luffy," she said suddenly, causing the captain to smile sadly.

"You don't have to thank me at all, Robin."

"But I do," she said softly. "I was so afraid. I truly believed that I couldn't escape my past. Now, hearing that I was wrong, even knowing what you all went through for me in another time, that you carried me with you to the end...I'm...I'm sorry I doubted you."

Wordlessly, Luffy set his drink down, turned towards her, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She returned the gesture, which conveyed so much, and felt an incredible lightness of being as they pulled apart.

"Are you going to be alright, Robin?" Luffy asked in concern. This week had been really rough on her.

Robin smiled in reassurance. "I'll survive," she informed him.

Luffy grinned widely before responding, "Don't survive. Live."

As he walked away, Robin watched him go with a contemplative smile.

To live.

How intensely that desire had burned within her. It was all she had ever wanted, really. Not to die. Not even to survive, but to live.

To see Zoro nod his head in silent praise of her improvement.

To hear Nami wonder aloud how she ever survived in this crew without her.

To see Usopp stand protectively in front of her with slingshot raised despite the unsteady tremor in his knees.

To see Sanji smile at her as if she was an angel fallen from heaven rather than a demon spawned from hell.

To hear Chopper marvel at how smart she supposedly was and ask about books that she'd read.

To hear Luffy say that he'd follow her to hell and back if he had to and to see the utmost conviction in his eyes.

No one had ever presented that to her as an option, must less demanded it of her. No one had allowed her that. It was forbidden. And yet, here they stood, not even giving her a choice. Why?

_The sea is vast, Robin. One day, surely, your comrades will appear. There is no such thing as being born into this world alone._

At that moment, Robin realized that there wasn't a single thing she wanted more in this world than to board the ship of the Straw Hat pirates and continue with them on their journey, on _her_ journey. To struggle with them. To laugh with them. To support them, and to be supported in turn, every step of the way. _To live_.

* * *

"STRAW HATS! STRAW HATS!"

The relatively quiet morning after the party took a turn for the more interesting as all attention snapped to the doorway, where a man with black hair sticking up, shamrock tattoos on his shoulders, and the Franky Family's typical outfit had barged in, looking out of breath and panicked.

"You're Franky's second-in-command, right? Banzai?" Luffy frowned.

"It's Zambai, but that's not important right now!" the man declared, slapping down a newspaper for them to read. "LOOK!"

They looked. And then their jaws dropped as they took in the front page. The current Straw Hat Pirates felt a unanimous sense of déjà vu.

**Marineford in Chaos! Fire Fist Ace storms HQ!**

_It appeared to be a typical day in Marineford, one of the World Government's three sacred bases. But disaster struck when the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Portgas D. 'Fire Fist' Ace entered the base alone, riding a simple raft powered by his Flame-Flame Fruit. He proceeded to use those powers to storm the city, setting all ablaze and powering through every Marine who attempted to slow him down. Fire Fist abandoned his assault and fled when Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself emerged to fight, but the damage was long since done, leaving several months' worth of repair work to the city itself, a dozen battleships destroyed, and thousands of Marines—ranked anywhere from Petty Officer to Vice Admiral—left in need of medical treatment._

_This unprecedented attack is believed to be a retaliation for the recent assault on Whitebeard's newest allies, the up-and-comers known as the Straw Hat Pirates. According to sources on Water 7, home to the world-renowned shipbuilders of the Galley-La Company, Admiral Aokiji was sent to apprehend the Straw Hats. The subsequent fight caused a significant amount of damage to the city, including the destruction of their cherished Sea Train the Puffing Tom, and in the end, Aokiji was unable to overcome captain Straw Hat Luffy and his first mate, Demon Wind Zoro._

_Rumor has it that the main target of his assault was the Straw Hats' newest member, 'Devil Child' Nico Robin. The finer details remain under wraps, but one thing is clear: regardless of the fact that the Straw Hats can clearly take care of themselves, Whitebeard still guards any who bear his name._

_SLAM!_

The room jumped as Luffy slammed his fist on the table, cracking it. And his expression was downright ferocious, ghosts of his previous life flickering in and out of his mind's eye.

"That _idiot! _Since when did Ace start acting like _me!?_ Why would he take such a freaking huge risk as charging _Marineford!? _And how the hell did they even find out about our fight here so fast?!"

"I'm afraid that that may be my fault, Straw Hat."

All attention turned to a different doorway, and most of the room stiffened as the green-eyed cloaked man walked in. "I passed the information on to our Chief of Staff, and given recent revelations, _he_ most likely passed the information on to Fire Fist," Mavric said.

"…Yeah, that explains it," Luffy muttered, then looked up at him. "What are you still doing here, anyway?"

"Recovering from CP9," he replied dryly. "They nearly killed all of my men, and recovery has been slow going. But I'm on my way out now, I just wanted to stop by before I left."

"Luffy, who is this?" Sanji asked tightly.

"Ah, my apologies, I haven't met most of you," the man smiled. "Mavric, Chief of the Revolutionary Army's Cipher Division. I'd like to think I'm an ally of your captain."

"And how, pray tell, do you have allies in the Revolutionary Army, Luffy?" Nami asked with a growl.

Luffy shrugged nonchalantly, causing Robin and Zoro to hide smirks. "Sabo, their Chief of Staff, is my other brother. When we were kids, a Celestial Dragon blew up his ship, and Ace and I thought he was dead. The Revolutionaries rescued him, but he got amnesia out of it, so he didn't remember us. He still doesn't, as far as I know; Ace met Sabo because I told him in Alabasta that he was still alive, but I only knew that because of the you-know-what."

Robin, having not expected that, looked at Luffy in surprise, and the rest of the uninformed crew lost much of their irritation upon hearing that. How could they not, given those circumstances?

"Oh, and Dragon is my dad."

That, on the other hand, was another matter entirely.

* * *

Edward Newgate, Captain of the Whitebeard Pirate fleet, one of the Yonko, current Strongest Man in the World, and former rival of the Pirate King himself…was having a really long day.

Although it would surprise many to know that the great Whitebeard was in fact _human _and got tired every once in awhile, even disregarding the fact that he was over 70 years old now, even titans had their off days. He had woke up to a small coughing fit, much to the concern of his crew's medical unit. It was one of increasingly many in the past year. That hadn't been _too_ bad. People got old, you know? He was over it…despite the constant chiding from his nurses, who were convinced that he drank too much sake, as if there was such a thing.

Later in the day, he had gotten a call from Ace, his Second Division Commander. Ace had admittedly had a rough couple months. Thatch's murder had weighed heavily on them all, but Ace had taken it especially hard, even blaming himself for the incident. After chasing Teach all the way to first half of the Grand Line, he'd had a rather eye-opening encounter with that brother of his.

That was where shit got interesting. After he'd suspended his disbelief in regards to time travel, it hadn't taken much persuasion for him to agree to ally their crew. After all, the brother of your son is your son, right? Yes, any family of Ace's was welcome amongst his own. Admittedly, the knowledge that said brother had partially come back to prevent the deaths of his children and the utter annihilation of his crew was also a point in the brat's favor. Sending Vista to the Marines' G-5 branch to deliver the message, and subsequently hearing their reactions (to both being greeted at their doorstep by a Yonko Commander and having to update the list of the Whitebeard Pirates' allies to accommodate a Paradise rookie) was also a bonus.

Still, Ace had been reluctant in putting his search for Teach on hold. He insisted that once he was strong enough to fight him, he would continue his hunt. Nevertheless, knowing that Ace was honing his Haki in preparation was a slight ease to the worries he'd been having. Ace had a lot of potential, so sharpening his skills would be a good idea before the inevitable confrontation.

But that did nothing to ease the tension in Whitebeard's shoulders after the events of the past couple of days. He'd been apprehensive as to what the future would hold after Alabasta. He knew his new allies could take care of themselves, but the fact remained that until they got to the New World, the Straw Hat Pirates were _vulnerable. _Vulnerable and rapidly climbing higher on the list of people that the World Government wanted dead. He'd had a feeling that something similar to the Water 7 incident would occur, and he'd been right. After receiving word of the near disaster from Ace (who now had a contact high up in the Revolutionary Army, and wasn't _that_ useful?), Whitebeard had been quick to run some damage control. Although it hadn't been the most conservative move, one didn't manage a Yonko crew by being indecisive. It had been a rather large gamble, but it had paid off.

And so, with the Transponder Snail ringing impatiently beside him, and his Third and Fifth Division Commanders looking on expectantly, Whitebeard held back a sigh and prepared to explain the reasoning behind his actions to the snot-nosed brat who, in reality, he knew wasn't that snot-nosed.

The Straw Hats waited nervously as Luffy held the receiver of the Transponder Snail rather tightly. There were probably a number of things to be said when their captain was about to essentially chew out a Yonko, but at the moment, nothing came to mind. Though the fact that they had recently learned that their captain was, for all intents and purposes, the Pirate King himself may have had something to do with that. And so, they merely focused their full attention onto the conversation that was about to take place as the call was answered.

"Hello, brat," came a familiar deep voice from the other line. "Although it's nice to hear from you again, I can only assume this isn't a social call."

Luffy took a deep breath. "Would you mind explaining?" The question was short, to the point, and very uncharacteristic of the Luffy they all knew.

A heavy sigh came from the other line. "It was the only choice of action available, my son," Whitebeard explained. "With the defeat of one of the World Government's strongest military assets, the Marines are now fully aware of the true threat that you now pose. They would have done anything to ensure that you never entered the New World. Two fighters of your caliber joining forces with us is not an outcome they would be willing to accept."

"Haven't we already demonstrated that we can handle ourselves?" Luffy asked, a bit tiredly. "There are going to be consequences for this, old man."

"I am aware of that. But although you are all fully competent, you are not infallible. With our crew actively demonstrating that we won't stand for any attacks against our own, they are much more likely to give you some breathing room."

Luffy sighed. "That was a dangerous play though. Ace was stupidly lucky that none of the Admirals besides Old Man Seagull were at Marineford."

"It wasn't luck," Whitebeard answered calmly.

Luffy blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

"A few hours prior to the assault on Marineford, there was a similar attack on the Holy Land, Mariejois. With the World Nobles under threat, Admiral Kizaru was dispatched to handle the issue. He was too late, however. The assailant was…difficult to pin down."

"…Marco," Luffy realized with a frown. "And I'm guessing Aokiji was still recovering?" he inferred, before pausing for a moment. "What about…Akainu?" he asked carefully.

There was a moment of silence at the other end of the line, before Whitebeard finally answered. "En route to Water 7," came the quiet reply.

The tension in the room promptly tripled. Not in the least because of the fact that _another_ admiral had been heading towards them, but because of the fact that, for the first time since they'd met him, Luffy's expression had become a mask of hatred and murderous rage. Zoro's expression was the same, and when Luffy spoke again, his voice made the rest of their hair stand on end. **"Where is he?"**

"He was forced to turn around when news of Ace's assault reached him. By the time he got back onto the Tarai current, Ace was long gone," Whitebeard assured.

A few seconds of stillness, and then Luffy turned a somewhat calmer but still furious expression onto the snail. "Old Man, I want to make this clear. The amount of pain Akainu has caused for me is more than I can put into words. He's the one man in the world that I could kill and never regret it, and I would have done it if he had showed up here."

"I'll remember that," Whitebeard answered. "But the fact remains that he didn't. We've gotten out of this unscathed. Consider it a blessing."

The tension slowly bled out of Luffy's posture, much to the crew's relief. "I do. But that doesn't change the fact that this will escalate tensions between the Whitebeard Pirates and the World Government."

"I'm aware of that as well. It hardly matters. You are all my children now, and I will stand up for you just as I would any of my own."

Luffy was silent for a moment, before conceding with a single reply. "Thank you…Pops" he said quietly. Whitebeard laughed heartily from the other line before answering.

"Anytime, brat," he said before hanging up.

Luffy sighed wearily, and for what may have been the first time, the crew saw him for how old he really was. Not just two and a half years older than he should have been, but the unholy amount of suffering that he felt when he saw them all die…at Akainu's hands, had aged him even further.

Wordlessly, they moved toward the center of the room, all five of them placing their hands out so that they met in the middle. Zoro soon followed suit, placing his hand above theirs, before looking at Luffy expectantly. At the sight, Luffy visibly relaxed, the last of his tension easing, and he reciprocated the gesture.

Meanwhile, Zambai fidgeted in the corner of the room, not having followed half of what was going on, but still strangely moved by it all nonetheless.

"Um…I don't want to interrupt," he said nervously. "But I still have something to show you."

Luffy looked at him with a smirk, all traces of anger gone. "Is it our new bounties?" he asked.

Zambai blinked. "Well…yeah, actually. How did you…?"

"It's pretty routine by now," Luffy answered. "Alright, let's see 'em."

Zambai obligingly placed the new bounty posters on the floor, spreading them out. The sight of them drew a few whistles and awe filled stares from the crew.

_Demonspawn Nico Robin – 80 million Belly_

_Black Leg Sanji – 155 million Belly_

_Demon Wind Zoro – 360 million Belly_

_Straw Hat Luffy – 525 million Belly_

"Damn," Usopp whispered. "You both broke the 300 million mark."

"Damn is right," Zoro said just as softly, a maniacal grin splitting his face. "Last time, our bounties weren't this big until we started attacking the Yonko."

"They did come kind of close after Doflamingo though," Luffy replied with a grin.

"I heard they don't increase as easily once they hit 300 million," Sanji said. "You guys really made an impression." He smirked. "Of course, 155 million isn't too bad either."

"Well, I'm just glad I didn't get one," Nami claimed, as Robin eyes the superficial increase with raised brows, and Usopp and Chopper sulked, as they too had not received bounties.

"There's one more thing," Zambai said suddenly, before laying one more bounty poster down. It read:

_Cyborg Franky – 90 million Belly_

"Aniki had been given a bounty as well. I haven't brought this up with him, because I'd just get my ass kicked, but…I worry for his safety."

Luffy and Zoro both frowned. Franky's bounty hadn't been nearly that high last time. It wasn't long before they realized why. Last time, Franky had burned the blueprints to Pluton right in front of CP9's eyes. Although he would likely do the same this time if he hadn't already, for all the World Government knew, he still had them. That made him as great, if not a greater threat than Robin, especially due to the fact that he could probably build it, given time.

"I'm asking you, as his brother in all but blood," Zambai said. "Please, take him with you! I don't know how long it will be until the higher ups of the Marines come after him, but once your crew leaves, they'll be nothing stopping them."

The Straw Hats shared a collective glance, and Luffy smirked again. "Guess we'll have to convince him to join," he said.

"You might as well give up now, Franky," Sanji said with a nostalgic smile. "You don't stand a chance."

* * *

That afternoon, Franky and Iceburg informed the Straw Hats that their ship was finished. The crew was naturally excited, even Luffy and Zoro, who had a general idea of what they'd be seeing. The unveiling of the ship became an occasion in and of itself for the citizens of Water 7, seeing as Franky and Iceburg himself had actually teamed up to build it.

Luffy was happy to note that Franky was actually there for the unveiling this time. Last time they'd had to drag him there.

"I hope your ready for this super sight Straw Hat. Don't think that just because you've technically seen it once before, that you don't need to brace yourself! I'm not responsible for what'll happen if you gaze upon this amazing creation half-assedly!"

Luffy smirked. "Challenge accepted. This ship is going to go around the world one day, so I won't let anyone treat it lightly, even if it's me."

"Ha! Well said. Well then, Straw Hat, if you're going to be the Pirate King, then you need to catch a ride on the King of Beasts!" With that, he pulled the cover off of the ship, which was at least twice as big as it had been in the previous timeline. And what a sight it was. In addition to its increased size, the ship looked even sleeker than it had in the previous timeline. The second he gazed upon it, Usopp came close to crying.

When he was done admiring the view, Luffy turned back towards Franky with a confident grin. "So Franky, have you thought about our offer?" he asked.

Franky laughed. "Oh, I've thought about it alright. But let me ask you this, Straw Hat. Do you really think it will be that easy to get _me_ on board your ship?"

Luffy smirked again. "Another challenge? What's it gonna be then?"

Franky crossed his arms. "Alright, listen up, Straw Hat! Here's the deal! We're going to settle the score between us! If you can best me in a contest of strength, only then will I join your crew! I won't follow a captain whose weaker than me!"

The Straw Hats all stared at the cyborg blankly, including Luffy.

"...That's it?" the rubber man asked, annoying Franky greatly.

"What do you mean that's it, dumbass!? I'm giving you a chance to recruit me since I like you guys, but don't start crying if you underestimate me and end up losing!"

"Oh, ok! That'll be easy then!" Luffy said in a happy go lucky tone.

A tic mark formed over Franky's brow. "As if, bastard! Fine, here I come! _**Strong Right**_!"

Luffy casually weaved around the blow and raised one arm, before planting it firmly into Franky's reinforced steel cranium, which hit the ground with enough force to make a crater beneath the two of them. "You know, you should thank me," Luffy commented. "This was a cakewalk compared to what you went through in the other timeline."

As the rubber man reminisced, Franky slowly got up. "That...that was a nice shot," he admitted. "Fine! I guess there's no choice then! I, Franky, will join the Straw Hats as the crew's shipwright!" he shouted, as Chopper and Usopp erupted in cheers.

Nami palmed her face in amazement. "What the hell was that? Did he really think he could win?" she asked.

Robin giggled. "No, I wouldn't say that," she said, causing the navigator to raise an eyebrow.

Zoro scoffed. "Stubborn bastard. He knew exactly how that would end. Straw Hats! Set sail!"

"Hang on," Franky said, as he climbed aboard the ship along with Luffy. If we're doing this, we gotta give the ship a name first! And I've got some pretty good ideas."

"We were thinking Thousand Sunny," Luffy said.

Franky nodded. "Of course, that's a good name too. A ship that can cross a thousand seas. But listen to this! I spent hours thinking of this name, on the off chance that you'd manage to beat me!"

"Thousand Sunny? I love that name!" Nami said with obvious enthusiasm.

"New Battle Franky Lion Gang Champion!"

"Thousand Sunny sounds awesome!" Chopper shouted.

"New Battle Franky Lion Gang Champion!"

"Thousand Sunny is quite a nice name," Robin agreed.

"Yeah, I don't think we can beat that, to be honest," Usopp said. "So it's settled?"

"New Battle Franky…! You know what? Forget it," Franky said. As their new shipwright sulked in the corner of the deck, the crew finalized the name.

"So are we ready to set sail?" Usopp asked.

"Hell yeah! And in style, bro! Brace yourselves!" Franky shouted as he disappeared into the engine room.

The citizens of Water 7 watched in amazement as the Thousand Sunny was propelled into the sky, flying off into the atmosphere.

* * *

A/N: Whew, that chapter was hard to write. But we're finally done with the Water 7 arc. Tell me what you guys thought, and thanks again to The Patient One. Lost out.


	56. Cheating the System

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter LVI: Cheating the System

_On Zenku, an Island in the Grand Line, on Route to Sabaody_

Jewelry Bonney hummed in thought as she stared down at the newspaper in front of her. The Straw Hat Pirates had made the headlines again. Although they had previously distinguished themselves apart from, and perhaps ahead of, this generation's rookies previously, their most recent endeavors were nothing short of outrageous. Her own recently heightened bounty of ฿140 million didn't even compare. None of the other rookies did, either. Really, she should have realized this would happen when their captain had defeated her while barely lifting a finger, using powers that she was only just beginning to tap the surface of even now. But _this_? This was some next level shit.

The rumors circulating around Paradise had started out as just that—rumors. Despite Water 7's position among Marines and pirates alike, despite Iceburg's ultimate credibility, the World Government had been quick to dispel any of the wild rumors originating from the Water metropolis.

Or at least, they had been quick to try.

Because no one, not even the Five Elder Stars, could convince the world that the sea freezing over from Water 7 all the way to Pucci and San Faldo was a _rumor_. Especially not with the sea train out of commission for an estimated two weeks.

As Bonney shouted for more food, she couldn't help but grin. There was no way around it. The Straw Hat Pirates had clashed with a Marine Admiral and lived to tell the tale. Or more accurately, for _everyone else _to tell the tale. The higher-ups of the World Government were probably shitting themselves and eating it right about now.

She continued to grin at the imagery. _Straw Hat is an annoying brat…but I can't help but admire him. He's got some serious guts. _Of course, the fact that he was Ace's brother didn't help put him out of her inquisitive mind.

Speaking of Ace, she wondered how his search was going…

"Hey, bartender! Give me 50 of your best apple pies!"

Bonney ignored the obnoxiously loud pirates that had just trudged into the bar in favor of contemplating what changes this would bring to the Great Pirate Era.

"Hey, Captain," came a calm, contemplative voice. "It looks like you were right to avoid those pirates that caught your attention earlier."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Auger?" the first voice asked. In response, the sniper handed him a newspaper. As the pirate captain began to read, his face gradually started to pale, before he suddenly started laughing. "Zehahahaha! That damn brat! To think he was that strong! We're lucky we backed off from his trail."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Van Auger replied. "Fate simply had other plans for us."

"Yeah, you're right about that. I can't say the adventure we had instead wasn't damn amazing, even if some freak lightning storm kind of ruined it in the end."

Bonney was now listening attentively. Had these guys been after the Straw Hats? They didn't look anything like bounty hunters. Perhaps they were just looking to take down a rival crew.

"Still, this ruins our plans, Captain," Jesus Burgess pointed out. "Who are we going to turn in instead?"

"Who knows. I'm sure an opportunity will present itself. I briefly considered turning in Ace, but he seems to have stopped following me…"

The glass Bonney was holding shattered in her grip.

"Oh, well. Like I said, we'll think of something. A toast to the glory of the Blackbeard Pirates! Zehahahahaha!"

Wood creaked against wood as Bonney slowly backed her chair away from the table. She rose to her feet and walked over to the newcomer, catching the crew's attention.

"You…" she whispered, bangs covering her eyes as she shook with poorly suppressed rage. "So, _you're_ Blackbeard?"

* * *

"_Gomu Gomu no…Keep Away_!"

"Hey Luffy, no fair!" Usopp shouted in protest, trying in vain to reach the dish that was suspended out of his reach by Luffy's rubber arms. "Let me try it too!"

"No way! I caught this one, so it's mine!" Luffy insisted.

"Hey, you two! Don't wreck the aquarium!" Franky chastised. "If you're gonna fight over fish, do it on deck!"

"OK!" Luffy agreed easily, running up the stairs as Usopp followed behind, still shouting complaints.

Meanwhile, on deck, Nami and Robin were both lying back in lawn chairs next to the garden. "This is the life!" Nami sighed in content. "Not only is the bigger deck great for sunbathing, but there's so much more room for my tangerine groves!"

"Indeed. I quite enjoyed the bigger library as well," Robin replied, before giggling. "And I can't help but feel as if Chopper agrees with me."

Chopper, for his part, didn't even respond at first, as he was buried, fur and all, in a large collection of medical texts.

"Huh?" he said. "Oh, sorry, Robin! You're right! And the shelves were already stocked with books! I haven't even heard of this one before…"

"Well, while you all enjoy your books and crap, I'm going to try out the training room. Cook, you wanna come?"

"In a little bit," Sanji replied. "I have to finish serving snacks to the ladies first!"

Zoro snorted. "Suit yourself, Love Cook." He made his way up to the training room. Truthfully, this was his first time using it since they'd set sail. Chopper had insisted under threat of painful dissection that he had to let his injuries heal.

That dissection bit may have been his own perspective on the matter, but damn if that scalpel didn't gleam menacingly in the light.

He was eager to begin training again. The fight with Aokiji had revealed that he still had a long way to go before he gained his old strength back.

"Still, the bigger training room is really a nice touch," he said aloud to the seemingly empty room.

"Yeah, Franky really outdid himself. He even threw in seastone weights!" said a voice from behind him.

Zoro turned around with a smirk. "You're right. I'm sure Luffy's resistance could benefit from those…uh…"

He stood looking down on a little girl that he'd never seen before. She was grinning up at him innocently, but Zoro was pretty sure he wasn't imagining the hint of mischief in her eyes.

"…Who are you again?" he asked, rubbing his head in confusion. The girl just snickered in response. Frowning, he did what he was used to doing by now when he didn't recognize someone with their appearance, and reached out with his Observation Haki. Upon sensing her aura, his features went blank.

"Everyone! Get up here _now_!"

* * *

The Straw Hat crew stood in a circle around a young girl with crimson red hair and brown eyes, who was looking back and forth between them all with cheerful wonder.

Luffy was staring at her with wide eyes.

"So, who is this?" Nami asked curiously. "A stowaway? She's so young…"

"She's not a stowaway," Zoro sighed. "We would have sensed her earlier if she was."

Nami raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying she just teleported on board? Some kind of Devil Fruit maybe?"

"Why don't we ask her?" Robin said, kneeling down to the girl's level. "Hello, there. How exactly did you get on our ship, Miss?"

The girl smiled widely. "Hi, Robin! I just woke up, realized I was back, and then manifested myself like before. It was easy!"

That threw the crew for a loop. Suddenly, Usopp gasped.

"Merry," he breathed, causing everyone to turn to him in surprise. "You're…Merry, aren't you?"

The girl snickered again. "Nope! Take another guess!"

"This makes no sense," Zoro grumbled. "Her aura feels like a combination of all of ours. I've never sensed anything like it."

"Sunny." The voice came from Luffy, who until now, had yet to speak. His face was pale.

The girl pointed at Luffy triumphantly. "He got it! Captain got it!"

"_What!?" _Franky shouted. "You're…You're the Sunny's Klabautermann?" There was panic in his voice. "But that's impossible. She's in perfect shape!" The Straw Hats collectively stiffened upon hearing this, remembering the incident in Skypiea vividly.

"No, no, don't worry!" Sunny smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine!"

Franky faltered. "But…the legends say…"

"That a ship's spirit manifests once it's damaged beyond repair. That _was_ true, in my case. But now I'm fine, see?"

Nami gave a strained smile. "Um, sorry, but you're not making that much sense, Sunny." God, it was kind of weird talking to their ship. But she'd done stranger things before.

The girl huffed in response, before Luffy suddenly shouted in realization.

"The parts we used!" he shouted, a smile stretching wide across his face.

Nami frowned. "What?"

Slowly, realization dawned. First with Franky, followed by Usopp and Robin.

"I suppose that could explain it," the archaeologist said in awe. The shipwright and sniper both had tears in their eyes.

"We used parts from the Merry to build this ship!" Luffy said gleefully. "That means you're…!"

"Yep! I'm Merry's reincarnation! I knew you'd get it!"

Nami's jaw dropped.

Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth.

Chopper dropped the book he was carrying.

Zoro just stared.

Franky started crying outright now. "That's so beautiful! The spirit of their little ship lives on through my creation! That's so damn poetic!"

"OK, we get it, you can stop crying now," Sanji muttered, though no one could deny that every single person in the room was moved by the revelation.

"Idiot! I'm not crying, idiot! Don't look at me, idiot! DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

"That's so cool!" Luffy shouted. "So, does this mean you can manifest whenever now, Sunny?"

The girl nodded. "Mhm! Once a ship spirit manifests once, the ship is sentient. It's just that none have ever had the strength to do it continuously after coming so close to death." She smirked. "But now that I'm back to full strength, I can appear whenever. We cheated the system! And it's all because you guys cared for me so much!"

Franky's sobs intensified.

"Well, that's pretty insane…" Zoro mumbled. "But I'm not complaining."

"Excuse me, Sunny," Robin interjected. "But does this mean that anyone can see you?"

Sunny shook her head. "Only people with a deep emotional connection to the ship can see me, or sense me with Observation Haki for that matter. Oh, I should also mention that I can't leave the ship, though. My spirit is tied to it, after all."

"That's amazing," Nami said. "This is like a miracle. What are the odds that it would happen to us of all people?" The rest of the crew stared at her blankly, and she blinked. "Right. Never mind…"

"Straw Hats! We're having a party!" Luffy commanded. "To celebrate our new crewmate, Sunny! Sanji, food!"

The chef smiled wistfully. "You got it, Captain."

* * *

The Straw Hats partied well into the night, eating, drinking, and generally causing havoc on the ship. The next morning, several of them woke up with hangovers. This wouldn't be so bad normally, if not for the fact that Luffy woke them up early in the morning. For haki training.

This would not go well.

"Luffy, do we really have to do this at six in the morning? My head is still aching!" Usopp complained.

"It's not our fault you're a first time drinker," Zoro said with a shrug. "You gotta keep up, Usopp."

Said sniper grumbled in discontent before accepting his fate. "Fine. But I have a question for you two before we start. It's about my Haki."

This drew the rest of the crew's attention.

"What? You think you're close to unlocking it?" Luffy asked.

Usopp frowned. "Maybe? I'm not sure, to be honest. Sanji, do you remember our fight with Rob Lucci?"

Sanji nodded, scowling. "Troublesome bastard," he muttered.

"Well, that's the thing. He was fast. Like, _really_ fast. I couldn't even hit him unless he in a deadlock with you and standing still. At first anyway. But towards the end of the fight, I was able to see his movements a lot more clearly. I actually intercepted him with the Impact Dial at one point."

Sanji frowned. "I remember that. Even though you were under Nami-san's mirage at the time, it was still really impressive. To be honest, I didn't think you'd be able to track him that well."

"That's what I'm saying. I think I may have used Observation Haki back then. Maybe…hopefully…" he rubbed his head in embarrassment. "I mean, the Impact Dial broke in the process, but I was still able to see better than I have before. Do you think it's possible, Luffy?"

Luffy was lost in thought. "Yeah, it's possible. I've never heard of Observation Haki affecting eyesight like that, but I know it can take a lot of different forms. Since you're a sniper, I guess your battle instincts are so geared towards sight that you can see people's auras instead of feeling them." He paused. "Do you think you can do it again?"

Surprisingly, Usopp nodded. "I think so. I remember what it feels like."

"Alright, try to snipe me. I'll move slow enough that you should be able to do it, but only if you can tap into your Haki again."

Usopp nodded and fetched his Dial enhanced slingshot, before taking aim. Luffy launched into a series of relatively slow Soru around the deck as the sniper focused. Much to the surprise of Nami and Chopper, who could barely see him at all, Usopp's eyes were following him around with frightening perceptiveness. He raised his weapon, took a deep breath, and aimed. His pellet collided with a barely perceptible blur, which soon materialized into clear sight as Luffy stopped moving. His hand was in front of his face, holding the very same pellet.

"Nice, Usopp. That was the real thing," he praised.

This elicited a round of applause from the crew, and in Chopper's case, cheering.

"Now, this time, close your eyes," Luffy suggested.

Usopp frowned. "But won't that—"

"Just try it. I want to test something," Luffy interrupted.

Usopp closed his eyes and gasped. "No way…I can still see you! That's just _weird_."

"That's because what you're using isn't actually your sight," Zoro interjected. "It's like Luffy said, you're just so geared towards visual sensory that you perceive what you're sensing as part of your vision."

"That's so cool! I can snipe people with my eyes closed now! Imagine how awesome I'll look!" Usopp exclaimed.

Nami huffed. "That's the first thing you think of?"

"Well, I think you might get your chance soon," Sunny said suddenly. "Marine blockade, off the port bow!"

"WHAT?!" demanded most of the crew.

Indeed, looking in the indicated direction, the Straw Hats could see a score of Marine ships ready to fire. Soon, the whistling of cannons was easily discernable, and the crew sprung to action. Sanji began deflecting the cannonballs while Usopp shot them in midair. Luffy was surprised to see Sanji hovering by kicking the air a few times.

"Sanji! You learned how to use Geppo?" he asked.

"Yeah, I paid pretty close attention when those assassins were doing it," the chef replied. "This is the first time I've had the chance to test it out though."

"Attention, Straw Hat Pirates! This is Rear Admiral Aubranuffs! Surrender immediately, as your course has been blocked off!"

"Picking a fight with us at sea, now of all times?" Nami asked with a smirk. "I hope they're ready!" She summoned up a dense mist around the ship, making it impossible to aim at them accurately.

"A Rear Admiral and twenty ships," Robin observed dryly. "You all forced Aokiji and CP9 to retreat, and they send a Rear Admiral and twenty ships. Either the Marines are delusional, or this Rear Admiral isn't acting on orders."

"Which makes him either very brave or very stupid. My money's on the second one," Sunny said.

"Usopp, would you like to test out your newfound skills?" Nami asked sweetly.

Usopp started snickering in glee as he made his way towards the Sunny's side cannons. Franky caught him by the arm, however, and led him towards the front of the ship with a confident smirk.

"Where they going?" Chopper asked. "The cannons are the other way."

Sunny suddenly began laughing maniacally, which was actually quite the intimidating sound coming from her normally light-hearted voice. "I am Sunny, hear me roar. I am Sunny, hear me roar…"

Luffy and Zoro both grinned as well, the former in glowing eagerness and the latter in sadistic anticipation.

"Um…guys?" Nami asked nervously. "What going to happ—"

"Gaon Cannon!" Sunny suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, as the mist around the ship parted from the sheer amount of force erupting from within it.

A blast of pressurized air hit the Marine blockade dead center, and the force from the resulting explosion ripped apart the enemy ships in seconds.

Usopp emerged from the Sunny's crown with an unreadable expression. "Don't worry," he whispered ominously. "I used the blunt side."

Zoro sweatdropped.

'_What fucking blunt side…?' _the crew thought as one.

"I am Sunny, hear me roar…"

* * *

The crew continued their Haki training well into the afternoon. No one had any breakthroughs after that, though Usopp managed to refine his "aura sight" a bit more. For the first time he could remember, the rest of the crew was giving him a wide berth.

He didn't know whether to be flattered or offended.

Some time after they finished, Usopp spotted a barrel floating off the ship's starboard. They quickly reeled it in, wondering if it was booze. Robin speculated that it could be a trap, but Luffy insisted they open it. A flare went up into the air the moment it did, and Nami was sure that Robin was right a that point, but Luffy dismissed her concerns, assuring them it would be fine. Some time later, they encountered a rather violent storm, but it was nothing Nami hadn't dealt with before, and they navigated safely through it, only to be met with a dense fog with no end in sight.

Usopp and Chopper were a bit creeped out by it, but it was Luffy and Zoro's reactions that were surprising.

"What's up with you two?" Nami asked, seeing the expressions on their faces. "You're not really telling me that _you're _scared of this fog, too, are you? I mean, you've been through it before."

"We're not scared," Zoro said quietly. "We're bracing ourselves for who we're about to run into."

Nami blinked in incomprehension, but Sanji looked up. _"'After the next island we land on.' _You were planning to tell us everything after whatever island we're going to end up on next. And you were waiting for that because—"

"Our last crewmate is here," Luffy confirmed, looking ahead.

Franky smirked. "I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from you. To find a crewmate in a place like this."

"A place like this?" Nami repeated. "What do you mean?"

Franky continued to smirk as he looked out at the fog. "In the Florian Triangle."

Robin smiled. "Oh, dear. What have we gotten ourselves into this time?" she asked, though it was clear she wasn't exactly dreading it.

"In these waters, over a hundred ships mysteriously vanish every year. This sea is said to be cursed," Franky explained ominously.

"C-C-Cursed!?" Usopp parroted. "Cursed how?"

"Ah, but that would be spoiling it, Usopp," Luffy teased.

Nami sighed. "So basically, only the two of you know what's coming, and you won't tell us," she bemoaned.

"That's not true!" Sunny said excitedly as she manifested in between Nami and Usopp, scaring the wits out of them both. "I know, too!"

"Oh, really? How?" Nami asked, as her heart rate went back to normal. _That's gonna take some getting used to…"_

Sunny pointed to Luffy and Zoro happily. "They know, so I know too!" she clarified, causing Zoro to blink and Luffy to raise an amused eyebrow.

"Wait, so you know everything we know?" Robin asked in obvious interest.

"Yep! Your favorite types of food, your deepest fears, your favorite colors, and your cup size! Everything!"

"…That last one seemed kind of thrown in there for the hell of it," Franky deadpanned.

"Yeah," Zoro smirked. "I wonder where she gets _that_ from." As one, the crew turned toward Sanji. Nami glared at him murderously.

"Sanji-kun, I think we need to have a talk about corrupting children," she whispered dangerously.

"With all due respect, Nami-san? I didn't do shit this time," Sanji replied.

"OK, we need to test this out!" Luffy declared. "Hey, Sunny, how is Seal doing?" he asked.

Sunny blinked. "Seal? He's fine. He started a stick collection. Why?"

They all stared. "What. The. Hell," Nami said in astonishment. "That's…holy _shit!"_

"What about Vivi-chan herself? How is she doing?" Sanji asked.

Sunny smiled a bit sadly. "She really misses you guys. And she's worried after reading the newspaper this morning. But she's happy. _Really_ happy."

"Vivi? Isn't she the Alabastan Princess?" Franky asked.

"Yeah," Nami said wistfully. "We helped her out a while back. She's an honorary Straw Hat if there ever was one. But this is great! Sunny will know if anything ever happens in Alabasta!"

"Along with all of our deepest, darkest secrets," Luffy said with a smirk. "Come to think of it, I wonder who has the most to hide…?" He turned to his crewmates, who all shivered at the devious look in his eyes.

Sunny's cheeks puffed out in indignation. "I can't disclose that information, Captain, short of you ordering it. And that would be really mean."

Luffy sighed. "I guess you're right. I won't ask then."

"And besides, Captain, the one with the most to hide is technically you," she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

Luffy opened his mouth to respond, before clicking it shut and turning away. "Hey, look, a ghost ship. We should probably check that out and continue this conversation never."

Surprisingly, the distraction actually worked, as the crew was haunted by an eerie, ethereal voice echoing through the fog.

"_Yohohoho…yohohoho…" _

The Straw Hat Pirates turned around ever so slowly, not wanting to greet the sight that awaited them once eyes caught up with what they were hearing.

"_Yohohoho…yohohoho…"_

Six out of nine of the crew members present on board paled in fear as a rundown ship, over twice the size of the Thousand Sunny, slipped out of the fog and approached their vessel. Sunny giggled in delight, while Luffy and Zoro both wore mad grins on their faces.

"_Gather up, no time to lose…"_

"G-G-G-Gho—" Usopp's stuttering reached an all time high as the ship approached them.

"_Time to__ round up Binks' Booze…"_

"_Ghost ship!" _the Straw Hats shouted as one, even Luffy and Sunny joining in.

"_Yohohohoooooooooo…"_

* * *

A/N: Hey all! Sorry it's been so long since my last update. I hope this awesome chapter makes up for it? And please don't kill me? Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Lost out.


	57. Duality

So…I hit the 3000 review mark…and the 4500 follow mark…and the 1.5 million view mark…

This was a good few weeks for me.

A reviewer kindly reminded that battleships aren't run of the mill marine ships…for some reason I thought the battleships were the small ones and the larger ones used in Buster Calls were called warships, likely the result of some mistranslation I once read that left a lasting impression for whatever reason. Needless to say, the ships from last chapter were just the run of the mill marine ships you'd see in East Blue and early parts of the Grand Line, hence Robin's utter lack of concern and the ease with which the newly improved Gaon Cannon decimated the blockade. I've made the necessary edits to clear up that confusion.

Another reviewer quite _neutrally_ pointed out that the way I dealt with Sunny's manifestation is similar to the manner in which the Cross-Brain dealt with Merry's. After now having read past that point in the chapter, I'm somewhat inclined to agree…even if there were key differences.

Despite that, The Patient One himself can vouch that I hadn't even read that scene yet when we sat down and _collaboratively wrote chapter 56, _seeing as I was Private Messaging him my reactions to having read that masterpiece _after we wrote chapter 56._ And he can also vouch that Sunny reincarnating was not his idea.

So to that reviewer: It's unfortunate that you didn't enjoy the chapter, but no, the idea was not in any way influenced by _This Bites!_.

But while I'm on the subject…everyone go and read that story if you haven't already, because it's basically the narrative equivalent of a roller coaster making escape velocity…of a black hole.

Do black holes have escape velocities you ask? Well no, they don't. That's just how logic fuckingly good that story is. Oh, and start your review with "Lost sent me!" since I'm egotistical.

With that said, onto the next chapter of Thriller Bark!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

* * *

Chapter LVII: Duality

During the Straw Hat crew's journey thus far, they had ridden a monstrous current up a mountain, fought off a criminal organization led by one Warlord of a mafia boss, rode an even more monstrous current into the heavens, toppled a self-proclaimed deity, and defeated one of the strongest members of a military agency that essentially ruled the world.

So, it stood to reason that a ghost ship, of all things, would not have a very profound effect on such an unshakable group of individuals.

"_Oh, hell, no! _Turn us around 180 degrees! I'm not dealing with ghosts today!"

It stood to reason…

"Scary! The Florian Triangle is scary! Get us out of here!"

It stood to reason…

"Don't listen to its song! It's a tribute to the damned! You'll be cursed!"

Reason did not stand with the Straw Hat crew.

"Guys…there's someone there," Sanji pointed out, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. This, ironically, halted their panicking long enough for them to get a look at their _visitor_.

Peering over the hull of the ghost ship, shrouded in mist, was a skeleton with a black suit, an afro, and a top hat…

"Gather up, no time to lose…"

Casually sipping from a cup of tea.

"Time to round up Binks' Booze…"

…

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go say hi!" Luffy said jovially.

"_WHAT!?_"

No, reason did not stand.

* * *

"Yohohohoho! How do you do? I am Dead Bones Brook! So nice to meet you! Pardon my earlier behavior! It's simply been so long since I've run into living people! All you see here is ghost ship after ghost ship. It's so scary!"

"Scary like a walking talking afro skeleton?" Franky asked uncertainly, not quite sure what to think of the situation.

"Please, do come in!" said afro skeleton said, either not hearing the question or completely ignoring it. "As a gentleman, I always welcome guests, though I never have any. Yohohoho!"

"Um, that's very nice of you," Nami said with a nervous laugh. "But we really should get going soon."

"Oh, my! What a lovely young woman!"

Nami completely froze up, sweating bullets. "Uh, no! That's…!"

"Perhaps you'd be so kind as to show me your panties?"

"LIKE HELL!" she shouted, quickly moving past her fear as she roundhouse kicked Brook in the skull.

"Yohohoho! Harsh!"

"Luffy, Zoro!" she shouted, rounding on the Captain and First Mate. "You two better have a good explanation for this! You've been through this before, right? So, explain why there's a walking, talking afro skeleton who wants my panties, and why the hell we're still here, _or else!"_

"Jeez, we were getting to that," Zoro said, sounding almost bored. "Calm your panties, witch."

Before Nami could follow up on her threat, Luffy fearlessly walked up to the skeleton. "Hey, you! I'm Luffy, the man who's going to be the Pirate King! Join my crew!"

"Very well."

"_WHAT!?_"

Robin giggled. "Now, we should have seen _that_ coming."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Usopp shouted. "The walking talking afro skeleton did _not_ just join our crew! I've got to be dreaming! This is a dream!"

"Really!? Thank God!" Chopper said, relieved, before falling backwards into a resting position and closing his eyes.

"Hello? Good morning. Please wake up now." Chopper opened his eyes to see Brook's face hovering directly over him, and promptly screamed himself hoarse.

Having thoroughly scarred Chopper, Brook now held his arms out and addressed the full crew. "Well, not that this isn't fun, but it's getting quite cold out here. What do you say we take this conversation to your ship and have dinner!"

"That is _not_ your decision," Nami mumbled helplessly, struggling to retain some semblance of control over the situation.

"You're right. It's mine!" Luffy said with a grin, causing her to deflate completely.

* * *

"Hey, Luffy! Did it work? Did you get him to join?" Sunny asked as they settled into the dining room.

"You bet!" Luffy grinned. "It's about time, too."

"Ah, excuse me. But who are you talking to?" Brook asked.

"Oh, that's our ship spirit, Sunny!" he answered. "I guess you can't quite see her yet."

"Hmm, I see. Yohoho! What a strange bunch!"

"Look who's talking," Sanji muttered.

After a ruckus of a meal and an explanation of Brook's past and Devil Fruit, the skeleton adopted a solemn expression. "It's been so long since I've been adrift on this sea…50 years now…it's been so lonely. After all this isolation, to meet a crew as lively and kind as yours…I could have wished for nothing more."

The Straw Hats sobered at his words, suddenly taking into consideration what kind of hell it must have been to be alone in these waters for that long.

"Luffy-san. Earlier, you asked me to join your crew. Back then I was so thrilled that I couldn't help but accept. But truthfully, I must decline. You see, there's a reason why I cannot leave the Florian Triangle as of now."

"Oh, that," Luffy said nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. We'll kick Moria's ass for you and get your shadow back!"

Brook's eye sockets widened in surprise. "Yohohoho! Now that's a shock! I didn't expect anyone who was just passing through to know what's been going on in these waters."

"What do you mean? What exactly is happening here?" Robin asked. "I assume it's related to why you can't leave?"

"Yes, that's right," Brook confirmed. "You see, quite some time ago, my shadow was stolen by a user of the Kage Kage no Mi. Without it, I am shunned by the sunlight. As of now, I am protected by this dense fog, but if I were to venture beyond it, I would surely perish."

"Whoa, he's right!" Usopp said. "If you look closely, he doesn't have a shadow!"

"But that name…Moria. Luffy, did you mean Gecko Moria? One of the Seven Warlords?"

"Yep, that's him," the captain answered. "We're gonna kick his ass!"

Brook was silent for a moment. "I didn't expect that. That…means a lot. But you shouldn't be so eager, Luffy-san. I don't want you to die for me. You can leave this fog whenever you desire. I don't want you to end up in the same predicament as myself, or worse. Therefore I'd strongly discourage you from challenging Gecko Moria."

Luffy smirked. "Thanks for the tip. But we never leave a crewmate behind. And even if you're not gonna join the crew yet, that just means you have no say in who we're gunning for. So until you're ready to become a Straw Hat, we'll be right here. We're annoying like that."

As Brook froze, every member of the Straw Hats adopted proud smiles. Despite some of their initial reservations about Brook joining, their Captain's words resonated with every single one of them.

"I see," Brook said, features blank. He looked as if he was about to speak again, but suddenly, he tensed up, and his eyes shrank in terror.

"G-G-Ghost!" he shrieked suddenly, and the crew followed his gaze to see a white smiling specter phasing through the wood of their ship.

The ghost started giggling madly at their reactions, before Luffy spoke up. "Hey, you," he said.

The ghost froze and looked at the rubberman. "Beat it," he finished, layering the command with the King's Will.

The ghost quickly did just that, but Brook followed it out, looking off into the fog to where it was headed. Sure enough, the colossal form of Thriller Bark could be seen drawing closer.

"It seems I've finally found what I've been searching for," Brook mumbled. After a brief farewell to the crew, he jumped off the ship and started running across the water towards Thriller Bark. What he didn't see was Luffy jumping into the air to follow through the fog behind him.

"Where in fucktopia is he going?" Franky asked.

"I'm sure he has something in mind," Zoro said with a shrug. "Let's just decide what we're going to do ourselves for now. Sunny, can you bring us closer to that place and drop anchor?"

"Sure thing!" the ship spirit chirped, as the sails unfurled, seeming of their own volition.

"What is this island anyway?" Nami asked. "It's not showing up on the Log. How did it get here?"

"It's not an island. It's a giant ship, and Moria's home field. He'll have the advantage here, so everyone watch your backs."

It didn't take long for the crew to realize that the island essentially had them trapped within its gate. In the end, it was decided that Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper would go ahead on the Mini Merry, while the rest of the crew stayed with the ship. Originally only three were going to go, until Nami pointed out that having the three weakest crew members go alone was just asking for trouble.

Not long after those four left, Sunny tensed. Suddenly, the ship's anchor threw itself onto the ship's deck, the chain wrapping around itself.

It was then that Sunny materialized again. "There's someone else aboard," she said seriously.

"What where?" Franky asked. They suddenly heard a pained grunt coming from the chain, which, as it was now apparent, was tensed around an invisible figure.

"He's invisible," the ship spirit stated. "But I could feel his footsteps." She smirked. "No one comes aboard this ship without me knowing."

The invisible figure suddenly let out a loud roar and renewed its struggling. The steel chain began to rattle, and Sunny grabbed her arm in a mix of pain and shock.

"Sunny, let him go," Sanji bit out.

She looked uncertain. "But—"

"You know everything we know, right?" he interrupted, eyes focused on the figure still wrapped within the chain. "Then you should know how this ends."

Sunny nodded slowly, before the chain unwrapped itself and dropped onto the deck. Another roar was heard as their unseen adversary rushed forward, but Sanji met him halfway.

Sanji landed a powerful knee to the assailant's gut, and their enemy was finally forced to materialize, coughing in pain.

"Get off our ship," Sanji whispered, before turning 360 degrees and kicking him in the face. He was sent flying off the ship and back in the direction of Thriller Bark.

"Who was that, do you think?" Robin asked.

"I don't know," Sanji replied. "But if that was what I think it was, he and I are going to have a problem."

* * *

"Can't you just use your Haki to track down where he is?" Chopper asked curiously. Claiming that Luffy was probably tailing Brook for a reason, Zoro had set quickly his sights on the big boss of the island, Moria himself.

"Already did," Zoro answered. "Problem is this ship is so big. It'll take awhile to get there unless I go alone." He smirked. "So, unless you guys will be fine on your own…"

Chopper faltered. "We'll take the long way…" he stated, and was met by agreement from Nami and Usopp.

"Right," the swordsman said. "We'll definitely be met with resistance on the way there, but that shouldn't be much of a problem. You guys can handle the small fry, and I'll take out Moria."

"You're right! Maybe we'll be done in record time," Usopp said cheerfully. "The less time we spend on this island the better!"

"Usopp," Nami seethed. "You realize that if there was any chance of that before, it's _gone_ now, right?" she asked, causing Usopp to think back on his words and pale.

"Uh…"

"What are you idiots talking about?" Zoro scoffed, before a menacing grin appeared on his face. "After all, what could _possibly_ go wrong?"

His three companions were white as the ghosts they were trying to avoid. _Bastard! He's enjoying this!_

It was then that a fierce growl could be heard from the path ahead, right on schedule. _No no no no no!_

"Zoro! Usopp! You guys totally jinxed us!" Chopper shouted in dismay, as a giant three headed dog regarded them threateningly.

Zoro sighed. "Get a grip you idiots. If Ol' Murphy is going to manifest as anything, it's definitely _not_ going to be some stupid three headed fox."

Evidently, his words only serve to enrage the already growling cerberus, whose fur stood up on end as he leaned forward, foaming at the mouth.

"Oh? You got a problem, Foxface?" Zoro asked with a challenging grin, one hand on his sword.

It was at that moment when Chopper, Nami, and Usopp turned around and fled the scene in fright. Zoro, focused on his soon-to-be prey, didn't take notice.

The cerberus charged forward, only to be cut down in an instant by Zoro's blade, which was soon sheathed again.

"You know, Luffy will either want to tame you or eat you," Zoro said matter of factly. "While the former won't be good for your pride, the latter won't be good for your _everything_."

He turned around, ready to tell the others to get a move on, when he noticed that they were conspicuously absent.

"Oh, _fuck you,_ Murphy."

* * *

"Usopp," Nami said through gritted teeth, once their current situation caught up with them.

"I know."

"We're alone."

"I know, Nami."

"In a graveyard, on a giant ghost ship."

"I _know_, Nami."

"And it's your fault."

"Do I need to keep repeating myself!?"

"And there are dead guys crawling out of the ground," Chopper chirped, not wanting to be left out.

"I _know_, Chopp—! Wait, whaaa…?"

They stood in silence as a horde of zombies rose from their graves once after another, moaning, groaning, and stalking forward ever so slowly.

"Usopp," Nami and Chopper chorused.

"I know, dammit!"

* * *

"Alright, what the hell?" Zoro groaned as he cut down another army of the walking dead. "I could have sworn their auras were that way! This island is messed up! And what's with those three, getting lost all of a sudden?" He stopped rambling as this time, a horde of larger, more powerful zombies appeared, all advancing on his position.

"They just can't wait for death's second embrace…" he muttered, getting his swords ready. "Eh, whatever. I could use a warm-up before that washed-up Warlord."

* * *

"WHO THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO RUN INTO A _GRAVEYARD _TO GET AWAY FROM A MOB OF _ZOMBIES?!"_

"Less hindsight, more getting the hell out of here!" Usopp shouted, before turning around briefly. "Take this! _**Certain Death, Firebird Star**_!" The fiery projectile exploded at the center of the zombie hoard, eliciting some surprisingly humanlike reactions from the dead men. Screams of pain were prevalent. Could zombies actually_ feel _pain?

"I knew it! A zombie's weakness is always fire!" Usopp shouted triumphantly as the three gained some distance from the reincarnated corpses.

"What now? They're just going to keep coming unless we find somewhere to lay low!" Nami pointed out.

"I know! Look, there's a house up ahead!" he pointed to a downright creepy mansion that looked like it could single handedly bring the real estate prices of an entire neighborhood to an all time low.

"So we escape the graveyard to get away from the zombies, and your solution to lay low is a _HAUNTED MANSION_!?"

"Do you have any better ideas!?" the sniper snapped.

"Could you possibly have any worse ones!?" the navigator replied.

"Maybe we could just stay here until Zoro finds us?" Chopper suggested. Not having much of a choice, the three resigned themselves to the spooky ass mansion.

As they reached the entrance, they were surprised to find a corridor where they expected the front door to be, with a courtyard on the other end of it. The only thing noteworthy in the tunnel was an old well…which was immediately made more noteworthy by a spotlight…and even more so by the blonde-haired, blue-skinned woman who rose out of it, holding a stack of plates in her hands.

"Welcome."

* * *

As Brook cut down and purified another horde of zombies before they could react, he turned back toward his recently gained shadow. Of course, being one of Moria's victims, he had no shadow, but that was beside the point.

"Excuse me, Luffy-san. Might I enquire as to why you are still following me?" he asked.

"I told you, didn't I?" the rubber man replied as he knocked out another horde with a Gatling. "I'm here to help you get your shadow back, then we'll go kick Moria's ass!"

"While I truly appreciate that, won't your own crew require your assistance at the moment?"

"Those guys'll be fine. They've got Zoro and Sanji with them."

"I see. Nevertheless, I would prefer to at least attempt to gain my shadow back on my own. If I am unable, I will come to you afterwards, seeing as they cannot kill me for fear of losing their most powerful zombie. Is that an acceptable arrangement?"

Luffy hummed. "I guess so. In that case, I'll just point you in the direction of your shadow and go find Moria."

"Ah. But how would you know where my shadow is?"

"I can sense it. Its aura is the same as yours, after all." He quickly relayed the direction to Brook, who tipped his hat in thanks, before leaving to find a certain Warlord.

* * *

"Remind me again why we're guarding Nami while she showers?" Usopp complained. "It's not like there's anyone in this mansion to peek on her. Well, other than us, anyway."

"Other than you," Chopper corrected. "I'm not interested in human females, naked or otherwise."

"Well, I'm not that shameless to begin with. Who do you think I am, Sanji?"

"If you were Sanji, I wouldn't be trusting you to guard the door to begin with," Nami spoke up from inside the shower. "And relax, I'm almost done. But I can't believe you guys don't feel dirty after being attacked by zombies. Regardless, we need to get out of this place quickly and track down Luffy and Zoro. Those two have _no _good excuse this time for not warning us that this place was infested with the _living dead_."

"Uh…isn't it sort of our fault for running away from Zoro?" Chopper asked.

"They still should have warned us!" Usopp interjected hastily.

"We'll get back at them later," Nami continued. "For now, let's focus on getting out of this giant haunted house. I'm getting bad vibes from this place, and it's not just the creepy atmosphere."

"Do you think it's the piss poor lighting?" Usopp joked, drawing a curious look from Chopper.

"Are you afraid of the dark, Usopp?" he asked obliviously.

"The great Captain Usopp is afraid of nothing!" the sniper refuted. "_But,_ if I had a perfectly rational fear at the moment, it probably wouldn't be the darkness, but the fact that the darkness makes it much easier for zombies to sneak up on you. Hypothetically speaking, of course."

"Do you think there are really zombies in the castle?" Chopper asked nervously, causing Usopp to shiver.

"I hope not. But Nami seems to think so. Hey, Nami, do you think that Hogback is hiding something?"

There was no answer.

"...Nami?" Chopper asked. Still no answer.

Usopp suddenly let out a horrified gasp. "Oh, hell, no! This is the part where we start disappearing one by one! Well it's not happening!" Without a moment's thought, he charged into the bathroom…

…Only to be met by Nami's completely naked form leaning against the wall, with no one else in sight. Usopp faltered.

_This was a mistake, huh?_

He quickly averted his gaze. "Sorry about that Nami…I sort of panicked there…haha…"

"Usopp!" Chopper shouted urgently. "There's someone else in here! I can smell them, but I can't see them!"

Upon hearing the warning, and finally noticing Nami's panicked eyes, Usopp briefly pushed all other thoughts aside and pulled out his slingshot. With use of his newly acquired Observation Haki, he was able to clearly see the outline of the figure pinning Nami to the wall.

"What a hideous aura…take this! Paint Star!" A paint-filled projectile hit their invisible adversary in the back, rendering him visible. Seeing this, Chopper ran forward and shifted into Heavy Point, nailing the figure over the head. To his dismay, the blow barely staggered him, but it was enough to free Nami's legs, an act which was rewarded by a moan of pain when she kneed the offender where about half the world's population never want to be kneed.

As its body slackened in pain, Chopper landed another blow to the head, this one knocking it back toward the window, away from Nami. There was no respite as it was soon hit dead center by a Firebird Star, courtesy of Usopp. The figure's entire body erupted into flames, eliciting a loud roar from the creature, who soon decided to retreat and leapt out the window.

"Bastard…who was that?" Usopp snarled.

"I don't know, but he got away," Chopper said, reverting back to his hybrid form.

"It sounded like some sort of beast…though it's _urges_ were certainly human," Nami grumbled with obvious distress, having quickly covered herself with a towel. "Thanks for the save, Usopp…if you hadn't rushed in here…well, I don't really want to think about it."

Usopp flushed. "Uh…it was nothing really. In the horror stories, when someone in the group falls silent, it's never a good thing, and, well, you know…"

"You still have to pay me for what you saw, though."

"…That seems a tad unreasonable."

* * *

It wasn't hard to reach the chamber where Gekko Moriah waited; the stairs on one side of the island were a clear marker. It wasn't hard for a master of Haki to avoid the zombies along the way, or to purify them before they were any wiser.

And above all else, it wasn't hard to detect the enmity as the former Pirate King and the former pirate stared at each other, despite their apparently casual expressions.

"Moriah," Luffy said coldly.

"Straw Hat Luffy," the Warlord returned, giving him his full attention. He opened his mouth to speak more, but paused, curiosity creeping into his expression. "What's this? How is it that you possess two shadows?"

Luffy tilted his head to one side. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't even know about it?" Moriah asked incredulously. "I can see two shadows tied to your body, as though two souls are coexisting perfectly. The strangest thing in my eyes is that the extra shadow belongs to you as well, but at the same time, it doesn't. I've never seen anything like this, not even in the New World."

A thin sheen of sweat came onto Luffy's brow; it was easy for him to realize where that second shadow came from.

"So, you _do _know?" Moriah asked, his expression eager.

"Yeah… but I'm not telling _you," _the rubber man growled. "I didn't come here to talk. I came here to kick your ass for stealing my new musician's shadow."

"Oh, your musician, you say? I don't recall ever preying on one of the Straw Hat Pirates. I think I'd remember a potentially suicidal move such as that one!" Moria exclaimed. "And indeed, I'm not so foolish as to believe I could win against the scourge of Paradise in an even fight. On the other hand, now that I meet you in person, this does present quite an opportu—"

He was interrupted by a swift kick to the face, which sent him crashing into the wall behind him.

"If you're going to start monologuing, you should at least be on guard," Luffy said, crossing his arms after the casual display of force.

Moria got up, his face covered in blood, and scowled in frustration. "I could say the same to you. Not that being on guard would help you in this situation." Before Luffy could attack again, Moria held his arm out, palm facing towards Luffy, who felt an inexplicable pull on his very being.

A familiar one.

He grunted in shock as his shadow, for the second time in his life, was forcefully separated from his body and flew towards Moria's waiting grasp.

"Fool! You must have had a death wish to challenge me in that state! As a user of the Kage Kage no Mi, I have dominion over shadows! The _only _instance in which that dominion is under restriction is when a shadow is tied to a living body! Only one shadow can fulfill this condition. Even if the second one is somehow yours, it will not be tied to your body as strongly as the first!"

"I thought I told you…" Luffy panted as he slowly recovered from the sudden and painful abuse of his life force, "To stop your damn monologuing."

Moria scowled again. "Very well, then. I'll skip right to the finale."

With that said, he shoved Luffy's struggling shadow into his own body. The effect was instantaneous; Moria's overweight form didn't change at all, but with a wide grin on his face, he moved in a stance that mirrored Luffy's typical pose before battle. The real Luffy's Observation Haki told him that this could be problematic.

"Have you ever had to fight against yourself, Straw Hat?" the Warlord drawled.

"Who knows?" Luffy replied. "I've been through a lot of crazy shit, so something tells me it would be hard to remember even if I did. Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. But I know how your ability works; you know how I fight, but you don't have my powers."

"Kishishishishi! You're only half right about that Straw Hat!" Moriah cackled, proving his point by clenching his fists. At first, Luffy was confused; he couldn't stretch, so what was he—

He barely dodged the fist as it rushed towards him with impressive speed. It didn't take long to realize that the blow was Haki enhanced.

"I may not be able to duplicate your Devil Fruit, but I _can _duplicate your Haki!" Moria gloated. "And as long as I can manipulate my own shadow as I please, replicating the effects of the Gomu Gomu no Mi is child's play!"

"Only on the outside," Luffy said. With no more warning than that, he activated Gear Second, and rushed forward as Moria did the same.

"_**Gomu Gomu no…!**_"

* * *

A/N: Be honest. How many of you saw that coming?


End file.
